


Lucky in Love - Logan style

by Naatta



Category: Logan Lucky (2017)
Genre: Clyde gets a girlfriend, F/M, Protective Siblings, Romance, Women Being Awesome, red-head, southern drawls, stubborn women
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-20 20:20:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 44,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17629016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naatta/pseuds/Naatta
Summary: [ON TEMPORARY HIATUS]Old Man Mike has decided to move to Florida and sell his dilapidated old house to an out-of-towner that lives up to her namesake of "Calamity" Jane. What's Clyde Logan to do when he pulls up the drive after a never-returned weed-wacker and spots a fiery red-head stuck in a hole on the front porch? Fall in love with her of course!Clyde LoganxOC





	1. Chapter 1

“Just look at it Pod,” She said, getting out of the car, green eyes wide with awe and excitement as she stared at the little spit of a house in front of her. The large mud colored dog slipped out of the car from his ride-along spot in the passenger seat and promptly sat on one of her feet, looking up at her with big, equally –muddy brown eyes. She peered down at him and rubbing him behind the ears. “Isn’t it just the best little house you ever saw?! And it’s all ours!”

When the ear rubs stopped Pod stood up and lumbered over to a bramble bush, promptly hiking his leg to mark territory while his owner toddled up the dirt rut of a path to the screen door. Everything was in need of paint, which she knew about, and the front porch groaned a bit as she meandered up the three steps to the door; the front door unlocked with ease and opened easy enough to a lovely little hallway and an old living room, filled with equally old furniture each covered with sheets or yellowed slips of plastic. “I can already see the potential!”

As she stepped across the threshold a loud CRASH pulled the ground out from underneath her and her leg went through the porch floor.

~_~_~_~_~

Clyde Logan grumbled and mumbled under his breath the whole drive up the dirt ‘road’ to old man Mike’s house. He still didn’t know how he got roped into this. One minute he’d been talking to Earl at the Duct Tape, Earl scratching his beard while telling him how old man Mike had decided to move to Florida and someone had been crazy enough to buy his dilapidated old shack of a house and then next he’d been tricked into going up there to get Earl’s old weed wacker for him.

“I had to go'n remind that old fart he still had the damn thing but by the time he got back to me he was already in Florida!” Earl griped, handing off his empty beer bottle for a fresh one, compliments of Clyde. “Damn fools only had it for the last 14 years. Anyway, said I could just go get it out of the shed out back anytime but been so damn busy these days I ain’t never got the time to go up there and get the blasted thing!”

One thing led to another and next thing he knew he was getting bullied into getting it for Earl and all because Mellie got wind that it was a woman who’d bought the old man’s house.

“Lottie Lou Grayson over at the realtor’s said she’s our age and moving in to start up some new age shop of a thing down of 6th street. Said she’s got real pretty red hair and is _single_.” Mellie all but sang the last word at him, leaning over the bar and grinning that cat-got-the-canary look at her brother.

“Would you kindly stop throwing me to every other single woman in the county?” Clyde snapped with his usual bored and all-around sulky expression, chunking Earl’s empty bottle in the trash with a shattering bang. “Just cause I’m on my own now that Jimmy's moved out doesn’t mean I’m looking for a wife.”

“I’m not trying to find you a wife, Clyde.” Mellie told him simply, taking the bottle he offered her. “I’m just trying to find you someone who can knock all the bats out of your plumbing. You know, a girlfriend.”

“My plumbing is FINE, thank you. And I'd rather wish you’d stop talking about it.” The bar owner grumped, the tips of his ears turning a hint of red.

“Mellie’s right, brother, “ Jimmy chimed in, slipping up next to his sister who nodded a polite thank you. “Ever since Slyvia and I got a place'n left you all on your own you've been a down right horses ass to around. When WAS the last time you got laid?”

“You sure he doesn't bat for the other team…?” Earl whispered behind his beer bottle. Clyde just made a face and snatched the half drunk bottle out of the old man’s hands.

“That’s it Earl, you’re cut off for the night.”

Earl made a grump about Clyde not being able to take a joke before bumbling outside for a cigarette. Jimmy just nudged at his sister and winked, obviously concocting a plan. “Hey Earl, how much you want for the weed-wacker? I’ll buy it off you!”

And that’s how it went. Earl offered to sell Jimmy the weed-wacker but since both of them were busy, Clyde was now stuck playing gofer. Pulling up the rutted road he spotted an older model green Nissan parked just a bit in the grass and a large brown dog meandering around the front yard, hiking his leg on anything that stood still. As he pulled up the beast raised his head and began to bark, alerting whoever of his presence.

The front door was wide open and something seemed to be wiggling around on the front porch. It wasn’t until the blur of red started waving at him he noticed it was actually a person. “Shit.”

He could hear her swearing and cussing from the moment he shut off the truck, and man did she have a mouth on her. His momma would have made him eat soap for a week straight if he’d said half as much as she did. His long legs hopped up and over the first couple steps in a single bound, being careful not to put pressure in the same spot she was in. “You need some help?”

Green eyes looked at him with enough fury to stun a cat at 20 paces. Red curls sticking out in all which directions from where they’d been pulled back in a large clip on the upper part of her head and thin, spindly arms trying to push or pull herself free from the hole one leg stretched out above, the other hidden below so she couldn’t get the right balance. His first thought was she looked like a snake all coiled up and ready to strike. “Some help would be nice, yes.”

From where she was, stuck awkwardly in the floor, this man was giant towering over her. Dark waves of hair just long enough to tickle at his shoulders, equally dark eyes, a nose that was just a hint longer than what might be considered normal and beauty marks dotted here and there on his face goatee'd face. He wore a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a hint of a circle-like tattoo on his right forearm, dark navy jeans and black boots. If she didn’t know any better, he could have been death itself creeping up on her if it weren’t for the little twitch of a smile on the edges of his thin, wide lips.

“Looks like the floor rotted right out underneath ya.” He squatted down and looped his hand around her upper arm, giving her enough leverage to hoist herself out of the hole in front of her front door. As she pulled her foot free of the hole, the toe of her tennis shoe caught the edge of the broken wood and sent her wobbling back against him, Clyde falling back a bit on his butt, her promptly landing in his lap.

She was close enough for him to count the freckles on her face and smell the mintiness of her toothpaste, those green eyes looking up into his with stunned surprise before she slipped hastily out of his lap with a mumbled apology. “Sorry, hope I didn’t knock the wind out of you. You need a hand up?”

Her accent was obvious but slightly different than his own. Definitely southern, but clearly not from Boone County, West Virginia. For a brief moment he thought about taking the offered hand but thought better of it and just got up himself, rising to his full height. Those bright eyes of hers blinked up at him like a kitten looks at a great dane, her jaw a bit slack as she took a step back from him. “God damn you’re huge!”

Her hand immediately slapping itself over her mouth while the edges of her ears and face turned as red as her hair. Clyde couldn’t help but grin at her embarrassment, giving her a quick look over in her little jean shorts and pink tank top, sticking out his hand for her to shake. “I get that a lot. Name's Clyde Logan.”

“CJ Turner,” She shook his hand, a firm shake like someone who knew what they were doing. He liked that. He also hated to admit how much he was starting to like that wavy red hair. When the light caught it just right it damn looked like real flames.

“What’s the ‘CJ’ stand for?”

Those freckles started to redden again and she hastily turned, stretching her stance wide over the hole in the porch to grab the open front door and bring it shut, locking it. “It stands for Calamity Jane.”

“You’re not serious.”

“My momma was a big Doris Day fan, Calamity Jane was her favorite movie.” She looked over her shoulder at him, stepping back to let the screen door close. “My parents loved classic movies and musicians. I’ve got twin sisters named Marilyn and Aubrey and brother named Ernie Ford if you can guess where they got their names.”

He let her step past him down the few steps of the porch, following in kind, she had to solid foot shorter than him at least. “Now I feel bad for all the bitching I make ‘bout being named Clyde.”

Squinting back at him over the setting sun she held a hand over her eyes to look at him. “I’m in the mind to call you Prince Charming for rescuing me from that hole. Though I gotta admit I’m curious as to why you’re out this way.”

The grin on her face let him know she was teasing him. Scratching the back of his head he gave her a sheepish grin. “I got sent here to reclaim a weed-wacker from the shed out back. I honestly didn’t expect to find anyone here.”

“Oh! Mike phoned me about that earlier this morning.” She waved him after her as she headed around the side of the house towards a large metal shed. CJ unlocked the garage door, putting the keys in her pocket before gripping the handle and tugging, the stupid thing not budging an inch. Soft swearing slipping past her lips she tugged on it again.

“Need a hand?” He offered, watching her struggle a bit in amusement.

Green eyes looked at him, mildly irritated. Her eyes flicked over to his arms, finally seeming to notice one wasn’t a ‘real’ hand and shook her head. “Nah, it’s just being stubborn.”

Rolling his eyes he stepped up and pushed her out of the way with his sheer size, grabbing the handle with his good hand and pulling, the door lifting with a screech of complaint. After it was up a few feet he used both hands to lift it all the way up, looking down at her with a smug smile.

“You cheated.” She told him haughtily, arms crossed over her smaller frame. “That robot hand of yours must give you super strength like in the movies.”

The thought made him laugh. He’d never really thought of his hand like that. Most people, when they commented on his missing appendage gave him pitied looks or avoided talking about it altogether, this woman damn near called him a superhero for having it. “No, couldn’t afford that level of upgrade.”

Smiling back at him she rocked back on her heels, happy to see him in good spirits over her joke. “Pity, I could use a man with super strength around here.”

When he did say anything she started hopping over various junk in the garage, heading to towards the weedwacker perched in the back corner. Her long legs and slim figure made her surprisingly nimble, almost like a dancer moving in time over to the machinery he’d come for. She’d nearly made it back to him when she zigged instead of zagged, letting out a yelp and a hiss, sucking in air between her teeth.

“What’d you do?” He asked, starting to maneuver his way towards her. Damn old man Mike had a lot of crap in here!

“I cut the dickens out of my leg.” She handed off the weedwacker, which ended up being all but tossed out into the yard as he kept coming towards her. Slipping her leg free from where an old saw blade had cut her CJ squeaked in surprise as a large hand swooped up around her and literally lifted her up off the ground, finding herself over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes while he got them back out of the garage. “Damn it, you don’t need to pick me up or nothing, it’s just a little cut, I could have walked back out without a fuss!”

Clyde Logan didn’t stop moving until they were clear of the shed and back at his truck before popping the tail gate and setting her down on it. “Stay there, I’ve got a kit in the truck.”

“Clyde!” She hollered at him as he moved to the cab of the truck. “Jesus, for a big man you sure have a thick skull! I’m telling you I’m fine!”

He ignored her, coming back to her, kit in hand, plopping it down beside her on the tailgate before grabbing some peroxide from its contents. He went about cleaning the cut with practiced ease, especially for someone who did most things with only one arm. “I’ve seen small cuts like this get nasty quick, better safe than sorry.”

Contrary to the dark look of him at first appearance this was probably the sweetest man Calamity Jane Turner had ever met. She hadn’t been this fussed over since she was five and broke her arm falling out of a tree and ended up in emergency room. If it weren’t for the fact that she knew this little slice wasn’t nearly a big deal as he was making it, she might have even found it charming him taking care of her like this, maybe even expected him to kiss her booboo when he was done. THAT idea was sending her thoughts in a direction it really didn’t need to go right now.

Small, nimble fingers slipped themselves over his larger ones, making them still and dark brown eyes look up. Despite a determined look in those green orbs they seemed to all but sparkle in the failing light, reminding him of a pair of emerald earrings his momma used to wear to church on Easter Sunday. “Clyde, you don't know me but I grew up in the backwaters of south Texas. I can tell the difference between poison ivy and poison oak, can shoot a rifle and hit a beer bottle from 100 yards, hogtie a calf, and can bandage my own damn leg. Now will you kindly stop fussing and just hand me a bandaid already?”

Putting the peroxide down he pulled a bandaid from the kit and handed it to her, watching a smile slip over her lips at the fairy princess design on it. “Sorry, it’s all I have. My niece skins her knees a lot.”

“It’s fine, though I would have preferred Star Wars.” She smiled, putting her hands on his shoulders and leaning in to kiss his cheek. “That’s for being a good uncle.”

CJ hopped down off the tailgate and slipped past him, not looking at him, mostly so he wouldn’t see just how red her face was turning. Why the hell did she kiss him? Yes he’s cute but still she just met him for crying out loud!

Grabbing the forgotten weedwacker she brought it to him, limping a little bit where her leg was still sore. Clearing her throat she looked up at him, doing her best not to blush anymore. “Here.”

Clyde took it from her and tossed in the back of his truck, slamming the tailgate shut while desperately trying to think of something to say. Thank god for that unruly mass of black hair he rarely let Mellie cut covering his ears so she couldn’t see how red they were getting. He almost felt light headed from how much blood kept rushing to his face. She was cute, very cute, and to be quite honest his brother’s voice was nagging him in the back of his mind telling him he should not let this moment slip past. But at the same time that other little voice of doubt came whispering in, telling him she wouldn’t be interested in some dark and brooding thing like him.

On the other side of that coin CJ was taking the moment to fully enjoy just how well he filled out the backside of his jeans. Familial dark thoughts were starting to fill her head, wondering if he was a boxers or briefs kind of man, much less what he’d look like in them…and without them. Biting her lower lip she let her eyes slip up his backside to that mass of black hair, her fingers practically itching to touch it. Should she wait to see if he’d ask her out? Why not just ask him out herself? Hell, she was a grown ass woman and this was the 21st century dammit!

“Oh to hell with it…CLYDE!” Hearing her call him name made him jump like a startled rabbit. Turning his head she stood there square stanced with her hands on her hips, a fierce look in her eyes of a woman with her mind made up. “Do you wanna have dinner with me?”

He swore the ground was trying to fall out from under him. Nobody ever asked him that, that question always went to Jimmy. So, maybe he'd just heard wrong. “…What?”

“What you got mud in your ears? I’m asking you out.” Crossing her arms over her chest she shook her head a little and squared her shoulders. “You want to go to dinner with me? Call it a thanks for helping me out if you want.”

“Sure.” It was all he could say. It was all he could think of to say.

She blinked at him a second, seeming not 100% sure how to proceed, almost a hint surprised he said yes. “Well alright, let me get Pod and we’ll go.”

Her tennis shoes were moving faster than his brain could wrap itself around the idea he'd just been asked to dinner, moving to follow her around the side of his truck while she headed for her little car. “Who’s Pod?”

A loud ear piercing whistle split the air and the large brown dog he’d seen running around marking territory came bounding off the front porch towards them. He all but skidded to a stop dead in front of her and sat at her feet, tail wagging happily. “This is Pod. He's a Piece of a Dog. P.O.D. Aka, Pod. There’s a diner up the road, I’ll meet you there.”

Clyde didn’t get a chance to say anything before she was in her car and the ignition started, pulling away down the dirt road. She was like a whirlwind, one of them fire-tornadoes you see in those nature magazines, full of energy and determined to knock you down or burn you if you didn’t get the hell out of the way. Before he knew it he was sliding into the cab if his truck and following her down the lane to the local diner a couple miles out, not sure if he really which would be better, getting out of the way or standing square this tornado’s path.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time he slipped into the diner she was already seated in a booth and drinking an iced tea. She’d changed her hair up, only the front was pulled back away from her face while the rest was let wild in roaring curls over her shoulders. When those green eyes caught his own brown ones he felt his heart skip a beat. Oh was he in deep shit.

“I grabbed the biggest booth I could so you’d have more leg room.” She told him, grabbing a swig of her drink. “I didn’t get you a drink though, I’m not that bossy. But I AM paying for dinner though. It’s my way of saying thank you for getting me unstuck from that hole.”

That familial blank face just stared at her while his large frame slid into the seat opposite of her, his knees still bumping up against the underside of the table. The waitress swung by and brought him a tea without him even having to ask. One of the perks of being a local and regular; he raised the glass with a soft thank you to Dolores the waitress. “Don’t need to thank me. I thought prince charming’s were supposed to rescue girls in distress.”

CJ smiled wide enough to show teeth, propping her head up on one hand. “Fair point. I’m still paying though. If it’s not for a thank you, then says it’s because I think you’re cute.”

Clyde Logan nearly choked to death on a swig of sweet iced tea, spitting half of what was in his mouth back into his glass to keep from spraying it on the woman across from him.

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to kill ya.” She handed him a napkin, the amusement fading from her face to one of concern. “My mouth gets me in trouble sometimes.”

He wheezed a bit, taking a proper drink of tea to sooth his now irritated throat. “Just surprised is all.”

“What, that I called you cute? Find that hard to believe. At least it wasn’t a coke. That shit burns when it gets up your nose. You’re not one of those that says ‘pop’ instead of ‘coke’ are ya?” She asked, pausing in her looking over a menu to try to bring the conversation off the awkward start to something a little more ‘normal’. “When I began heading this far north I started to get a little concerned about the change in words.”

“I’ve been known to say both.” He admitted. “Picked up the habit while tending the bar.”

“You work at a bar?”

“Own it too. It’s called Duck Tape.” He couldn’t help but beam with pride a little. “It’s my pride and joy; about 15 miles east of here.”

Nodding her head she gave him a soft smile. “Like the name. I’m guessing it’s because everything can be fixed with it?”

Clyde chuckled. “Yeah. Thought it made a good funny.”

“I’m gonna be opening a shop in town. One of those spa places where they rub you down and whatnot.” They paused to give their orders, each ordering a cheeseburger and fries though Clyde made sure to ask for extra crispy, almost burnt bacon on his.

“You one'a them witch people?” He couldn’t help but ask. To her credit she laughed a full belly laugh, loud enough to make a couple heads turn.

“No, nothing like that. I’m a massage therapist" He nodded, grabbing a swig of his drink. "I’m also trained in a few new age style therapies. Even heard of Tibetan bowls? Those ones you bang with a mallet and they sing real pretty like a tuning fork? Got a set of those I use and other stuff like that. There is some actual science behind some of that, it’s not all complete hoakem.”

They continued talking back and forth about many things throughout the meal. Turns out she’d been married once before and gotten into massage therapy while trying to figure out how to get on with her life. They talked about their family and siblings, CJ getting quite a kick about comparing sibling stories, it was the most Clyde had talked to anyone save Mellie and Jimmie in years. He also found he really liked to hear her laugh. He’d just finish telling her about the time Mellie had roped him into letting her use him as a test dummy for when she was going to beauty school when she gave him a soft smile. “You sure are cute when you smile.”

The words were out of his mouth faster than he could stop them, her green eyes widening a bit before she quipped right back. “And here I thought I was the one who blurted out things. Thanks for waiting until I wasn’t eating or drinking nothing.”

His phone buzzing in his pocket. Seeing it was Mellie he excused himself and answered it. “What?”

“CLYDE LOGAN ARE YOU SERIOUSLY ON A DATE RIGHT NOW?!” Mellie all but screamed into his ear, making him jerk it away from his ear a minute.

“What on earth'r you talking about?” He asked softly, hiding away in the back by the bathrooms.

“Don’t you play dumb with me you big oaf. I know you’re at Red’s Diner with some woman. Or did you forget my friend Samantha Whitmore works there on weekends?” Clyde hung his head in defeat. Damn his sister and her spies.

“Yes, I’m eatin' dinner with someone.” He finally admitted. “But it’s not a date.”

“Is that someone a girl?”

“Yes…”

“That’s a date, dumbass.” His sister told him flatly. “Is it that girl who moved into old man Mike’s old place?”

“…”

“I can hear your face turning red.”

Rubbing the back of his neck he glared at the phone. “Dammit Mellie.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Get back to your date before she thinks you’re having it on with someone else or something. I want details later!” She hung up on him before he could even say bye.

CJ was right where he’d left her when he came back, grinning up at him. “Let me guess…your sister?”

“Yeah. Apparently we’re being watched.” Sitting back down he looked over her shoulder to a young woman standing just inside the kitchen door typing on her cellphone. She looked up and saw she’d been caught, hastily ducking back inside the kitchen doors. “She likes to keep an eye on me.”

“Can’t say I blame her. Momma and her network were a lot like that back home.” She admitted, finishing off the last few fries on her plate.

“What brung you all the way to Boone County?” He asked, letting her steal some of his fries when she was done with her own.

“Sheer dumb luck.” Those green eyes sparkled with mischief. “When daddy was alive his suffered from leg pain, which I used to massage to help him sleep. He was the one who told me to go to school to become a professional and start up a business. While I was looking for a shop I put in the wrong search and ended up getting in contact with Mike. While we were in talks my father died. Momma move back down south to be closer to all her grandkids and she gave me the difference for the sale of the house to move here. Mike was willing to give me his land, the house and everything inside of it for a damn good price.”

“You know that house is falling apart, right?” He couldn’t help but ask, making a face when she nodded.

“I know but it’s on some great land and I don’t mind a fixer upper.” Clyde spotted how the edges of her smile lowered just a bit, her gaze shifting to look out the window towards her car. “I’ve gave up a lot of things for other people in my life. This was one thing I could say I did myself. A place I could call all my own, and do whatever I want to do with it.”

He could understand that very well. After he’d come home from Iraq he could remember all the ‘help’ people had offered like he couldn’t do a damn thing on his own anymore. Don’t even get him started on all the casseroles he’s had to eat/throw away from all the little church ladies who didn’t think he could cook without two hands. Duck Tape was his little bit of alright, the thing he’d managed to accomplish after he’d been ‘damaged’ by the war. She was damaged too, trying to pick up the pieces and be without help, find her own worth and all that.

Leaning back in his seat he watched her stare out the window, smiling a little to herself as she watched her dog shift in the passenger seat of her car. Damn it if he wasn’t falling hard and fast for this woman and he’d only just met her this afternoon! “I could help you out if you want.”

His voice brought her back to the table, turning those big green eyes to stare at him. “What?”

“With the fixin'. I’m pretty good with a hammer.”

She stared at him, those eyes narrowing a bit as if trying to figure out his game for a split second. “I’d insist on paying you for any work you did.”

“I’d insist on that part too.” He grinned wide enough to show teeth, doing his best to be sincere. “I know that porch alone's a 2 person job.”

CJ hesitated, giving him a slow blink while she thought. She was both excited and terrified at the idea of Clyde Logan loitering around her house. Despite being a hand down he looked like a man who could get things done and probably liked working with his hands, and while she did know how to work a power drill and some general maintenance things, any hard labor would require help. But at the same time she could totally see him walking around without a shirt in the hot sun dripping in sweat and that particular train of thought was derailing all her other plans faster than she could make them. Needing help, however, was more prominent than needing…help. “Alright, you’re hired. When are you available to start?”

“Tomorrow'd be fine. Swing by say, 10?”

She held out her hand over the table for him to shake. “Make it 9 and I’ll feed you. I’m staying at the Motel 6 tonight cause I got in late, but I’ll meet you up there by then. Bring your own tools though cause I don’t know what all’s in that shed that’s any good.”

He grinned, shaking her hand.

Clyde was insistent on paying for the meal, CJ all but stomping her foot until he reminded her she’d be making breakfast the following morning. “I said I’d pay for dinner dammit!”

“You just hush and let me do this. It’s not like we went to Olive Garden or nothing. Plus I get a discount.” He nudged her out of the way and shoved a few twenty’s in the little waitress’s hand before his ‘date’ could get her credit card out of her wallet. “Too late now.”

Those green eyes glared at him all the while he was signing off on how much tip Dolores would get. “You really are too nice of a guy to be single, Clyde Logan. You sure you’re not married and just yanking my chain around?”

“No, he’s single,” The little waitress chimed, both sets of eyes turning to look at her. “He’s the Boone County's most eligible bachelor.”

“Yup!” Chimed an old man at the long bar drinking coffee. “Last single man in the whole damn state if you believe anything the gossip says.”

“You’ll be lucky if you don’t have the local church ladies praying for wedding bells after word gets out about this.” The guy next to him added, the pair clinking their coffee mugs together with a chuckle of agreement. “Or asking if you’ve set a wedding date yet.”

“Oh hush you old codgers and leave those young people alone!” Their waitress, Dolores, barked at them, slapping one with her wiping rag. She was an older woman, one of those who’d probably worked at the diner for most of her life. With lipstick a little too red for her skin tone she smiled at them, Clyde nodding back to her in kind. “You two go on and enjoy the rest of your night and don’t worry none about the gossip. I’m sure Mellie will set them all straight.”

“Thanks Dolores.” Clyde smiled, getting back his change.

He watched her head out first, that red-headed tornado woman saying something about taking the dog to the dog park before heading back to her hotel. As he put his wallet back in his back pocket he looked up at the woman running the register who for some odd reason was giggling at him. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re grinning like the Cheshire cat.” She told him, smiling just as wide. “Must have been some date. You tell her you and Jimmy a bank yet?”

His face flattened into its normal, stiff expression. “Just tell Mellie to hold her horses about calling me till I get home. I hate that damn confangled talk-while-driving gizmo.”

“Can do!” Sam chimed, waving at him as he left. Dolores smacked her in the arm to shoo her off, hollering after him in that motherly tone. “Later Clyde! I’ll make sure Mellie gets the story straight!”


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time since he got out of the military, Clyde Logan was up before the sunrise. Not only was he up but he’d showered, dressed, and changed his shirt 3 times before his alarm went off to let him know it was 8am. And despite having next t no sleep, he seemed to be almost bouncy with energy. Jesus what the hell had they put in that burger from last night, steroids?

Firing up his truck he flicked on the radio, more than happy to loudly sing along off key with one of them new pop country songs on the radio on his way to old man Mike’s old place, giving a pleasant wave to nearly every passing driver on the road. It wasn’t until he spotted a familial green Nissan parked on the shoulder with a flame of red hair kicking one of the tires that his smile faltered a bit.

Today she was dressed in worn denim overalls with paint splotches in various places, tennis shoes and a bonnie-blue t-shirt that would have given her location away even if her hair had been hidden under a hat. At the sound of a slowing vehicle she turned and waved her arms up over her head, jumping up and down a little for emphasis. If the jumping part didn’t get him the smile of recognition on her face upon seeing him behind the wheel would have.

Once his truck came to a stop she approached him, being careful to stay out of the main road. “What’s wrong with your car?”

“One of my tires blew.” She explained, looking up at him in the raised cab.

“Don't you got a spare?”

The red head made a face, blinking up at him. “That WAS my spare.”

“Hop in. I’ll call Earl and get him to fix it and bring it over later.”

With a nod she took off for her car, grabbing Pod by the leash in one hand and a plastic grocery bag and a backpack in the other. When she opened the cab door Pod hastily jumped in, promptly making himself comfortable in the middle of the bench cab seat and panting while his owner climbed in behind.

“Can’t he ride in the bed?” Clyde all but whined, eyeing the dog’s nails and hoping he didn’t shed all over the seats.

“Not for all the tea in China.” CJ replied calmly with an even look. “I don’t trust him to jump out after something. Besides, he’s my guard dog. Hard to guard me if he’s in the back.”

Clyde just sighed and pulled back onto the main road, glaring a little at the dog who just stared ahead, happy as a clam to be going someplace. They pulled off onto the dirt road, each occupant bouncing along until they pulled up the long drive to the house. CJ was the first one out, Pod right behind, off to check his mark spots and remark them while Clyde eyed the brown dog hair all over his seat. Damn dog.

By the time he was done calling Earl about the car and not cussing him out for all the jabs he was making about a Logan finally getting lucky, his ears were burning and there was yelling and hollering coming from inside the house. He could hear her clearly cussing and swearing again, taking a large step over the hole in the porch and passing through the living room to the kitchen where a fiery-tornado was tearing through cabinets.

“All this shit in here and I can’t find a damn skillet! What’d the grubby old man do, take all the cast iron?!” She let out another stream of slews that nearly had him wincing, in physical pain.

“You sure swear a lot. You kin to Yosemite Sam or something?” He teased, watching her bare feet stick out from under her while she rummaged. He cocked his head to the side a little taking in for a minute just how nice she filled out those overalls she was wearing.

“I used to work with children in my 20’s. I love them to death, bless their little hearts, but by God I bottled up so much swearing my momma says I’m just trying to even myself out.” Her voice was muddled while her head was stuck deep in a lower cabinet, finally pulling free, waves of red tangles in front of her face, holding a large skillet. “Yahtzee!”

Waving him out of the way he backed up a few steps, keep out of her bulldozing path while she pulled various things out of the plastic bag. While the bacon cooked she prowled through the huge pantry as well as checked the fridge, smiling a little. “At least the fridge is cold. Mike said the power’d been left on so all the lights and stuff should work. You mind looking around making sure everything work alright while I keep an eye on this?”

With a nod she left him to roam the house, flicking each light switch and poking his nose in various places to check everything out. The house was basically a big square box with a front porch across the front and a closed in back porch. The front door opened onto a small hallway that went straight through to the back door with the stairs in the center of the house, living room to the left and a study to the right complete with sliding barn door. The kitchen was in the back, small but filled with windows and just enough for a house this size complete with a little nook for a small breakfast table and dining room and a full bath off there. Careful with the stairs he poked his head up above the landing, noting the space was no more than a converted attic but it did have a full bath, positioned directly over the first floor one, and a bedroom.

“Didn’t poke around too much upstairs,” He said, coming back to the kitchen, still stoic faced as ever. “Stairs were creaking and groaning, you might should get a contractor out here to check your framing work and make sure’s safe less you have someone come crashing through your ceiling.”

Her thin eyebrows knitted together in concern. “I hope everything goes okay, I don’t exactly have much wiggle room for heavy handed repairs. Mike said everything was up to code.”

“Maybe back when the house was built, but this place still uses fuses. Those whole damn place probably needs to be rewired.” At the saddened look on her face he hastily added. “Didn’t see any bugs though OR cockroaches so that’s good.”

He didn’t have the heart to tell her about the mouse droppings he’d spotted in a few corners.

His positives did help in raising her spirits, the energy seeming to come back to her a bit as she turned back to focus on the bacon sizzling in the skillet. “I need to go through the shed and see what stays and what goes. I'd would love to turn that into where I do my therapy sessions but with how much stuff’s out there it’d probably be cheaper just to rent that store space out on 6th and call it at that.”

“I could pull all that out.” The offer was out of his mouth faster than he could stop it. It was just like last night, blurting things out without control of his own brain. It was seriously starting to mess with him how frequently that was happening.

“Clyde, that building is full of rusted old junk!” She gave him a side look. “You may be a diamond in the rough when it comes to helping people but that’s too much for just one man to handle.”

He just looked at her with that familiar stone face. “You mean a guy with one hand.”

She jabbed the tongs in her hand in his face faster than Clint Eastwood pulls a gun in an old western movie. “Don’t you dare be putting words in my mouth Clyde Logan or I’ll reach up and pop you upside the back of your head even if I have to stand on my tippy toes to reach it! I did not say nothing about your damn hand, no how, so don’t you be thinkin it!”

She laid hat Texan drawl on thicker than molasses, green eyes glaring daggers at him, that viper look back in her stare just like when they first met. “You saw what all's in that building. You couldn’t do it by yourself if you had 10 arms and 20 hands! You’d need a whole passle of folk to go through all that stuff and most of its probably too rusted to go anything with!”

He held up his hands, both flesh and metal, in surrender. “Alright, Calam. Didn't mean to put words in your mouth.”

Turning with a huff she flipped the bacon again. “Don’t like being accused of saying something I didn’t say.”

There was hurt there, in her tone. He could see it in how her shoulders sank and she seemed to huddle around herself. This was an old wound that was still healing. He knew he needed to tread very carefully. “And I ain't a big fan of people thinking I can’t do things since I’m…missing a few things.”

“Oh bullshit,” She snapped. “I had an uncle who lost an eye in the war and he took full advantage of it to play pranks on folks by making it pop out'n what not. I figure everybody’s got something wrong with them in some shape or another, yours is just a little more obvious that most, but at least your head is screwed on right, that’s more than I can say about most folks. You seem like a man who doesn’t coddle himself and make fuss about it, so why should I? You’re a grown ass adult; I’ll save my coddling for babies who don’t know no better.”

If he could get down on one knee and ask to marry her without coming off as having lost his marbles he would have. He’d known this woman less than 48 hours and she’d said just about word for word what he told people when they got to bugging him about his hand. Or at least his siblings did since he wasn’t one big on confrontation. If he didn’t have as much self control as he did he’d have pulled her up against him and kissed the dickens out of her by now.

She looked over her shoulder at him, concerned she’d overstepped herself since he was being so quiet. Twitching her nose a little CJ looked at him with a nod. “You might call your brother though. Have him help with the hole in the front porch. It's a damn deathtrap waiting to happen.”

“No need, I’m already here!” A male voice called from the doorway, Jimmy Logan standing in all his charming glory in jeans, light t-shirt, well-worn workboots, and a smile that could charm the spots of a dalamation. “Saw the truck and smelled the bacon so I just kinda let myself in. Difficult to knock on the door when you have to straddle a hole in the floor. Sylvia bought y'all coffee though.”

Clyde was up and grabbing the cardboard carrier with 3 drinks in it from his brother while waving introductions. “CJ this is my brother Jimmy. Jimmy this is Calamity.”

“CJ for short.” She added, shaking his hand firmly. “Now be useful and grab the plates from that cabinet. Clyde. Silverware.”

“She’s bossy.” Jimmy whispered to his brother. “I like her.”

“It comes with the hair color.” She said, not looking at him over her shoulder. “The excellent hearing comes from being a substitute teacher for 7 years. Now hop to it, the eggs are done.”

“Yes ma’am.” Jimmy literally hopped and skipped his way to the cabinet, getting a small chuckle from her while Clyde grabbed the silverware from a drawer on the opposite side of her, both brothers setting the table. Seeing her smile at Jimmy's little goof-off hand him wanting to throw his brother out of the house. He always hated how his brother could make just about any woman on the planet giggle and smile with just wink but when he tried it they'd all but run for the hills. Their chef grabbed a hot pad and brought the whole skillet to the table, putting it in the middle to dish from before slipping into a seat herself.

“You’ll have to forgive the eggs. They start fried but end scrambled every damn time.” She admitted, grabbing a cup of coffee while Jimmy all but dived in and devied up the food.

Looking at the bacon he smiled. “You burnt some of the bacon.”

“It’s for Clyde, I noticed he likes his bacon extra crispy.”

The tips of his ears went red at his brother’s wide-eyed expression. “You two have dinner last night or something?”

CJ nodded, talking around a mouthful of eggs. “Prince Charming here fished me out of that whole in the porch so we had dinner as a thank you for helping me out.”

“It was not a date.” Clyde blurted out, staring his brother dead in the eye, keeping his usual sour expression.

“Really?” She asked, staring at him over the lip of her coffee cup. “Might as well have been, everyone else kept thinking it was.”

Clyde just stuffed his mouth with bacon and eggs, leaving Jimmy to talk with the red head between bites. “Sure by the time all the gossip lines hear about it, it’ll be just that.”

There was a hesitation, he could see the question hovering over his older brother’s lips like he was about to explode if her didn't ask. “Think you’d want to go out with him again?”

Clyde slammed his fork down and was about to start cussing his brother out. “Dammit Jimmy! You and Mellie both, I swear…!”

“Yes, I would. But he has to ask ME this time.” CJ calmly cut him off, finishing off her coffee. 

Both brothers stared at her in stunned silence, the young woman calmly grabbing her now empty plate and putting it in the sink, looking over her shoulder at them with a smile. “I cooked, you two clean. Soap and scrubbies under the sink. I’m going to take a look around.”

And she was gone. Like a whirlwind of green and red she vanished around the corner leaving him and his brother sitting in stunned silence at the little kitchen table.

“You need to marry that woman.” Jimmy told him, pointing his fork with emphasis. “Right now, before you start thinkin too hard.”

“Will you knock it off?” Clyde grumped stabbing at the last few bites of his breakfast before getting up, plate in hand and heading for the sink. “We just met yesterday for Christ’s sake!”

“My point exactly!” Jimmy said, following suit. “If you don’t claim her now someone else is gonna swoop in and grab her!”

Turning to his brother, Clyde glared at him hard enough to stop him in his tracks. “She ain't some THING, Jimmy she’s a human being. Sides that she'd probably shoot whoever tried an hanky panky like that.”

“She can shoot?”

“Yeah. She’s from Texas.” Clyde told him. “Hit a beer bottle with a rifle at 100 yards.”

“Damn! Maybe I should try asking her out.”

Clyde had his brother by the front of his shirt and off the floor before he knew what was happening, that frumpy face of his turning hard and pissed off. “Don’t you even joke.”

To his credit, Jimmy just smiled wide, not even carrying how his little brother had him damn near bent over backwards and on his tip toes by that one handed grip alone. “Oh brother you have got it BAD for this one…”

Staring at each other for a second the bigger man put his brother down, letting out a long and low sigh and grabbed the scrubby going at the defenseless plate sitting in the sink. “I know…I know.”


	4. Chapter 4

CJ watched the brother’s Logan as they pulled various things out of the shed in the back. Fixing the porch had taken barely an hour, most of it spent arguing and despite her informing them they could go home after they were done it had been Jimmy who had insisted they at least poke about in the shed and see what goodies they could scrounge up. She couldn't help but smile a little as she watched Clyde start up on his brother, pointing with his black robotic hand while Jimmy argued back, all over some rusted piece or another he’d pulled out. They really were both very handsome but Jimmy seemed to be the more the showboat brother while Clyde came off as more reserved. Loosing part of his arm overseas definitely played a hand in that (no pun intended) but she knew very well what it felt like to be lost in a siblings shadow having three of them herself.

Pulling herself away from the view of watching them argue she’d taken to rearranging and cleaning the kitchen. Everything seemed to be in working order and the cabinets, while on the old side and worn from years of use, were still in pretty good condition, the tiled countertops a bit outdated in color but just a handful were nicked or chipped. She’d pulled everything out of the top cabinets and cleaned them till they all but sparkled, which was quite a feat for wood, and boxed up the various brickabrack she knew she wouldn’t need or want to be taken to the nearest donation place.

She was halfway through pulling a stack of rusted old metal pots and pans out of the first lower cupboard when something moving caught her eye. A sliver of patterned brown shifted back into the corner and two slits on a diamond shaped head made her freeze and slowly back away.

It lunged and she screamed.

Jimmy and Clyde froze at the sound of screaming coming from the house before bolting for the house, rounding to the back door and barreling through the screened in back porch which was the fastest way into the kitchen, Clyde beating his brother there by a full second.

“Calamity!” Clyde yelled as he came in, finding her cowering on the counter top, bare feet tucked up around her as she all but sat in the sink, green eyes wide as a deer caught in headlights.

“Stop!” She yelled, holding out her hands to them as they came in. Pointing to the open cabinet below she spoke with a shaky breath. “C-Copperhead.”

“You sure?” Clyde asked, Jimmy already out the door and headed for the woods to find a good snake-catching stick. Slowly he moved towards her, keeping an eye on the open door. From where the pots were stacked he could indeed see something dark coiled up in the corner that seemed definitely snake shaped.

“Well it sure as hell ain't a unicorn.” She snapped, yelping a little when a hiss filled the silent room, all but shaking with a squeal of terror. Once he moved close enough she all but launched herself at him, letting him catch her and hold her up off the floor, those pale arms around tightly hugging his neck. 

Jimmy came rushing back, stick in hand, giving his brother a fleeting look before getting to work snake wrangling. Pushing the pots away with a long handled spoon the snake came into view, indeed a poisonous copperhead. I struck out at the spoon, clearly pissed off but Jimmy just maneuvered it out with a practiced hand, keeping it focused on his boots until he could strike and pin it with the forked part of the stick and grab it behind the head.

As it struck out and hissed, the red head squeezed herself around in her savior’s arm, all but climbing on top of his shoulders and whimpering. She was so close he could all but hear her pounding heartbeat right in his ear. Jimmy held the wiggling reptile like a champion snake catcher, one hand on the tail, the other behind the head. At the sight of her all coiled around his brother’s head the older Logan grinned, taking a step towards them. “Sure you don’t wanna see it?”

CJ squealed and nearly knocked Clyde off his balance, his mechanical hand wrapping under her legs to better hold her, dark eyes glaring murder at his brother if he dared to take one more step near them. Jimmy just chuckled at his tease and headed out the back door towards the tree line. Once he and the legless intruder were out the door, the giant of a man slowly put down the woman in his arms.

“You ok?” He asked, noting how her pupils were still very small and unfocused pinpricks. At his voice she looked up at him, trying to take in a few deep breaths to calm herself.

“I hate snakes.” Her grip on his upper arms was tight and still shaking a bit from the adrenaline. “Ernie put a grass snake in my toy box when I was a kid. It scared the daylights outta me. I can deal with bugs and nice and shit like nobody’s business but not snakes.”

Without word she wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him firmly, burying her face in his broad chest. “Thank you Clyde, you really are a prince charming.”

This is how Jimmy found them, red hair buried in his brother’s chest and his Clyde, statue still with a look of confused panic. I took every ounce of self control not to laugh at his brothers terrified expression. “Snake's gone. Where's my hug?”

Pulling her head out of Clyde’s chest she let him loose, crossing the few steps to his brother and wrapping her arms around him as well. “Thank you Jimmy, I would have been trapped on that counter all night if you hadn’t saved me!”

“Does that make me prince charming too?”

Green eyes looked up at him with a little crooked smile, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. “You can be the trusty sidekick, how about that?”

If it weren’t so damn funny, Clyde would have almost been jealous of his brother for earning a kiss on the cheek from the woman who just earlier had been literally wrapped around him like a python. He watched her pull away and call for Pod, making sure he was still out on the closed in porch and not rooting around after the snake in the trees.

Clyde’s phone buzzed in his pocket, a familial chime noting his alarm was going off as time to head to open the bar. “Shit, I gotta go.”

“What about my car?” She asked. “Did Earl ever get back to you about it?”

“He said he’d run out of your size tire and had to order one, he’ll bring it by tomorrow. Lock up, I'll take you back to the Motel 6.” Clyde put his phone away and grabbed his keys from where he’d left them on the kitchen table.

“I was going to stay here tonight.” CJ admitted, rubbing her arm with her hand, looking a little embarrassed. “Only had enough to pay for the one night at the motel without dipping into my repair money.”

Jimmy looked at her like she’d turned rainbow colored. “Are you nuts?! I wouldn’t make my ex-wife’s husband stay in this place and he's a rutting bastard. We just pulled a snake out of your cabinet!”

“Jimmy’s right Calam,” Clyde nodded, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “It ain't safe.”

“I have Pod with me.” She insisted, crossing her arms over her chest and standing her ground. “He IS my guard dog.”

“Against what, bunny rabbits?” Jimmy snapped, looking over to his brother. “Why don’t she just crash at your place Clyde?”

Clyde narrowed his dark eyes at his brother. “She can stay with Mellie.”

“I’m staying here.” She insisted. “This is my house and I’ll stay here even if it kills me.”

“It will.” Jimmy snapped, being just as obstinate. Looking to his brother they each nodded. “I’ll get the dog.”

They both started moving at the exact same time, Clyde crossing the kitchen in 3 strides flat and sweeping the red-head up and over his shoulder. “Grab the backpack too.”

“What the hell Clyde?!” CJ screamed, starting to squirm and kick her legs to get loose. “Put me down right now or I’ll knock that damn goatee right your smug stony face!”

“Will ya stop kicking? Only got the one good arm here.” He snapped, Jimmy keeping just ahead of him, backpack in one hand, Pod by the collar in the other. They tag teamed holding the dog while Jimmy got the door, making sure to lock up before heading to their respected vehicles.

“Meet you at the bar.” Jimmy hollered, letting Pod hop up in his passenger seat before getting in while she kicked and hollered over his brother's shoulder. He was already heading down the dirt road when Clyde finally put down the swearing cussball of a woman, who then promptly kicked him in the shin.

“OW!” He hollered, hopping on one foot.

“Jackass! I outta knock you back on your ass you overgrown black turd!” She tried to kick him again but when he dodged she went to swinging. “Dammit stand still so I can hit you proper!”

“Will you knock it off and get in, I’m already late.”

“Hell no!” She yelled, those red waves slinging every which way as she flailed against his larger frame. “Why the hell would I go anywhere with you? Here I thought you were some big handsome teddy bear and now you won’t even let me stay in my own house!”

“That house is a damn death trap! Hell a stiff breeze would knock the whole damn place down on top of your head.” Clyde yelled right back, pointing at the house. “You’re better off staying with friends til it’s fixed up to at least livable.”

“I don’t have any friends!” She snapped, pushing at him but only ending up sending herself back a step. Darn his solid build! In the faded light just about everything was covered in shadows but those big green eyes of hers were still just as bright, though now they rippled with tears. Waving her arms about her voice quivered as she spoke. “I don’t have ANYBODY out here! All I got is a house that’s falling down, a car with a flat, a backpack full of clothes, and a dog. That’s it. But at least it’s mine. And I won't let no one take it away from me!”

He could hear the quiver in her voice and it pulled at his heart worse than when his own momma lay dying in the hospital. He watched her turn around on heel and start marching back up towards the door and he leaned back against the side of the truck. “Jimmy's got your keys.”

That got her to stop, glaring back at him with that venomous viper look. Even in the losing light he held her gaze with his usual downcast expression. “I get it. You ain't the only one been in a spot like this. Some…just cursed with bad luck. You really want to stay here though then I’ll call Jimmy and bring you back your keys, hell I’ll break the damn door down, but dammit if I don’t want to protect you even if it means from yourself.”

“I don’t need your protection Clyde.” She told him flatly, hands balled into fists at her sides.

“Doesn’t stop me from wanting to do it all the same.” Shoving his hands in his pockets he pushed off the side of the truck and moved the few steps to stand in front of her, looming over her like a beast to her beauty. 

“You do have friends, Calam." He told her softly, voice just above a whisper. "You got me.”

She held her ground below him like the fiery tempest she was, letting out a stream of cuss words under her breath in a drawl so thick you could cut it with a knife. When she finally settled down she turned around from him, putting her hands on her hips and screamed a word out into the darkness.  “PINEAPPLES!!!!!!!!!!”

He just stood there, letting her be until she finally turned around, marched right past him and got into the passenger’s seat of his truck, not saying a word. He climbed in afterward, fired it up and headed down the drive. They rode like that in silence for a long time until he just couldn’t hold the question in anymore. “Why’d you scream ‘pineapples’?”

“It’s what I say when I can’t seem to say what I want to say.” She explained, staring out straight ahead. “My cussword when I can’t cuss in good company or just give up.”

“Ah,” He nodded his head, pursing his lips together. “We got a codeword too, me and Jimmy.”

She finally looked at him, curiosity getting the better of her. “What’s your word?”

Pulling up to the bar the lights were already on, Jimmy having already opened up to let the local regulars in. Clyde pulled into his usual parking space and shut off the engine before turning to her with a soft smile. “Cauliflower.”


	5. Chapter 5

Pod lay sleeping next to his owner’s feet under the table near the jukebox, CJ scribbling something in a notebook while munching on the ice chips of her empty cranberry vodka. Jimmy and Mellie sat at the bar, periodically looking over their shoulders at her while they talked low with their brother.

“I’m tellin' you she’d marriage material,” Jimmy insisted, leaning in so he wouldn’t have to talk too loud even with the music blaring out of the jukebox and the tvs. “Stubborn as a mule and gives no guff about liking our Clyde here.”

“I’m not so sure. Hasn’t even bothered to look up at him since I got here.” Mellie replied, chewing on her perfectly red colored lower lip. “What’s she doing over there anyway? Writing a letter to Santa Claus?”

“Why don’t you to go interrogate her like you do all the other women who start taking a liking to Clyde?” Earl suggested, already a few beers in. "Like that one lady from the FBI?"

Clyde paused in his counting off the inventory under the counter. “What other women?”

“Never you mind that old drunk,” Mellie waved off the comment and twisted around in the stool, hopping off and click clacking her way over to the booth to slide in next to the red head. Holding out a hand with a classic Logan-charm smile she cooed, “Hi, I’m Mellie Logan, you’re CJ, right?”

“So I’ve been told all my life,” She replied in kind, smiling and shaking the other woman’s hand. “Was wondering when you’d finally come over and talk to me. Thought bout coming over to you but I wanted to finish this first.”

Mellie looked down to the paper CJ had been scribbling on, eyes widening a bit, “A layout?”

“Mike’s house. As best as I can figure it from memory. Only been in it once after all.” She turned the paper so Mellie could see it better.

“You drew this from memory? Pretty neat little trick. Even got the wall sockets and light switches.” Looking up she hollered over, “Hey Jimmy! Come see this!”

Jimmy Logan meandered his way over to the booth, sliding in on CJ’s other side, Mellie sliding the piece of paper to her brother. “This is…pretty good.”

“Runs in the family. My Pawpa was a civil engineer til the day he died.” CJ explained. “I wanted to draw out the house so I can see what kind of fixes I could make.”

“You planning on remodeling it? Might as well tear the whole thing down to the studs and start again.” Mellie chided, taking a swig of her beer.

“So I’ve heard. But if the foundation's good and just needs a lil work, I’d like to just rework a few things and leave the rest be.” She started pointing out where she wanted to move certain things and had Jimmy and Mellie’s full engagement for nearly an hour talking over various ideas. Clyde watched the trio periodically just to make sure they weren’t prying into her too much while refilling the regulars. Couple times he caught his name being said and CJ did look up at him but otherwise she all but ignored him mostly.

“So why are you over here doodling out pictures instead of making goo goo eyes at my brother behind the bar? Last girl who came in here after him never seemed to want to let him out of her sight.” Mellie finally asked, going straight for the jugular. "Then again turns out she was some fancy FBI bitch who couldn't leave well enough alone. Had to damn near chase her off with a broom."

The red head just smiled, flicking her eyes over at Clyde who was busy talking to Earl. “Well he IS a bartender at his own bar, where else would he be? He's got work to do so best just stay outta the way. Besides, I can hear 'em just fine from here if I need him.”

“She's got super hearing.” Jimmy added, grinning ear to ear about it.

“By the way I stopped writing letters to Santa Claus when I was 9.” She said smugly, grinning at the look of horror that passed over Mellie’s face.

Jimmy got a great kick out of Mellie getting caught up in her own words, sliding out of the booth to grab everyone refills. While he was gone Mellie leaned in and talked real soft. “Now that it’s just us girls I gotta to ask, what you think of Clyde?”

“Can’t really tell which he is more, a prince charming or a grumpy sourpuss.” CJ shrugged, holding the other woman’s gaze. “Bit on the shy side though, definitely.”

“Well you hit that nail on the head.” Mellie mumbled under her breath, watching the other woman watch her brothers interact. Those green eyes were focused on him like a cat watching a bird on a branch, even leaning into the table and biting the end of her pencil. She could all but see the wheels turning in her head. “You look like you wanna eat him.”

Those green eyes finally blinked and looked at her, as if coming back to her senses, lips spreading into a smile. “I’ve thought about it.”

Mellie just burst out laughing, cackling and almost falling out of the booth. Just about everyone in the bar looked their way, either curious or confused. The brunette slipped out of her seat in the booth and came back to the bar, carefully wiping away tears as to not smear her makeup. “Well I approve of this union.”

“There is no union,” Clyde snapped, looking down at his sister leaning on the bar.

“You’re lucky I’m not already planning the wedding, Clyde Logan.” She pointed a perfectly polished nail in her brother’s face. “Now you’d better march over there and ask her out before I give Jimmy the go ahead to do it for you.”

He gripped the rag in his hand tightly but otherwise held his ground, giving her a stubborn look.

“I’m counting to five.” She grinned. “One…two…”

“Mellie, swear to god you'd better stop.”

“Three…four…Jimmy get ready…fi”

“Damn you both!” Clyde threw the towel down and came around the bar to stand in front of her table, making her look ever smaller sitting down. She looked up at him with a soft smile and all cognitive thought left his brain.

“Let me guess, they bullied you into talking to me, didn’t they?” She cocked her head to the side, peering around his large frame as the siblings beyond who hastily turned around and pretended to watch a game on the big screen TV in the corner.

He just stood there, standing over her seated person while he tried to think of something to say. ANYTHING to say. He wanted it just right before he opened his mouth, but everything he could think of to say sounded stupid. She just sat there, quietly waiting, those big green eyes watching him.

Shifting his feet his good hand fisted at his side, breathing out through his nose. "D'you wanna...maybe...go..."

"Just spit it out already dammit!" Someone hollered from across the bar.

"I'm getting there alright!" He turned back to them and snapped, getting a few chuckles from nearby folks watching him make an utter fool of himself babbling like an idiot. 

Without a word she slid from inside the booth and grabbed his arm, tugging him around the back of the bar into the little hallway where the bathrooms were. “There, out of sight and ear shot. Better?”

Now it was just him and her in a very close and intimate space and no way to avoid looking like an idiot should he fuck this up. He leaned out a bit to see if they were still watching. Just about everyone in the damn bar raised their drinks at him. Shit. “Not really.”

“Clyde, look at me for a second, will ya?” She pulled on his sleeve, bring him back to her. “You don't go out on dates very much, do you?”

The shifting of his feet and downcast look were enough of an answer. 

"Let me clue you in on somethin'." Without warning she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her level, pressing her lips firmly to his own. She held him there for a few seconds before letting him pull back, her own cheeks as crimson as his. "I like you, Clyde. The kind of like that makes me want to do that a lot more than just once."

He stared down at her in wonder. He’d never met a woman who seemed so comfortable being upfront and on the cuff about her feelings. Running his hand through his hair again he sighed. “Why would you even want to go out with a guy like me?”

“Because you’re cute, sweet, my superhero of a prince charming.” She told him without missing a beat. “And cause I'd like to kiss you anytime I want. So what’ll it be? Dinner? Movie? Bowling? I’m really up for just about anything. You just pick, tell me what time to meet you and we’ll go from there. That way you _technically_ asked me out.”

“They have this karaoke thing coming up this weekend. Jimmy’s little girl wants to go see if she can enter the contest.” He suggested, seriously wanting to lean down and kiss her again. “Food provided.”

“Perfect. Although to be honest, I’m also would have accepted going to bingo next Tuesday night.” She grinned, which made him grin in return. As he started to back out of the little hall she called his name softly, making him turn in curiosity. Reaching up she ran her hands through his hair, more than excastic when he leaned his larger frame down and kissed her without having to be asked. His lips were warm and soft, just like she thought they'd be, smiling when he pushed them a step back and pinned her against the wall to dig in like a tick. When he pulled away her fingers slipped from his head, grinning from ear to ear. “Sorry, I’ve just really been wanting to do that.”

She slipped past him before he could say anything, hastily getting back to the booth and going back to her scribbled floor plan despite having no more focus to continue with it. Clyde was a little slower to get going, Jimmy finding him leaning up against the wall in the hall, staring off into space with his mouth hanging slightly open.

“You okay back here?” His too-handsome-for-his-own-good brother asked with concern.

Clyde just looked up at him and smiled as wide as he ever had before. “Fantastic!”


	6. Chapter 6

The weekend couldn’t get here fast enough. Despite having a severe hankering to want to see her every second of every day Mellie and Jimmy seemed to be doing their damndest to keep them apart. Mellie had been more than happy to let her new “soon-to-be sister in law” as she kept saying sleep on her couch while they waited to see if the house was safe to live in. Jimmy had called in a favor and had a contractor friend of his come by and check the place out and to everyone’s surprise he had more good to say than bad. Apparently the foundation was sound as was the basic plumbing and framework but the wiring was shot from age and the whole house needed to be rewired.

He almost cried himself when he relayed the message through Mellie over the phone, hearing soft sobbing in the background and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Why don’t we just renovate the shed building too? Do it all at once and get a new building and a damn near new house all in one?”

“Won’t that take weeks?” Mellie asked, slipping into another room to keep her temporary roommate from hearing. “And a lot more money than she’s got?”

“Just fudge the numbers we tell her and I’ll pay the difference.” He explained. “If she fusses tell her we’ll put in plumbing along with wiring in the shed and she can just live in that until the house is done.”

“If it weren’t for that stubborn streak of hers I’d almost say that’s a dumb idea, but I know she’ll go for it.” His sister agreed. “Oh, Sadie got entered into a cooking contest in Virginia and I’m going to have to be out of town for a few days. While I’m out of town I’m having the place fumigated.”

“Since when d'you have a bug problem?” He snapped.

“Since I had all those roaches in my house for the job.” She replied back, sounding just a little too calm and collected to have this not be planned. “CJ and her dog are going to have to stay somewhere else.”

There was a pause on the phone.

“You're settin' me up on purpose.”

“Actually had this on my calendar for the past few weeks since I found out about the contest. This affecting someone else however is pure dumb luck.” Mellie assured him. “She can’t afford a hotel room…guess she’s gonna have to bunk with you.”

It took every ounce of his patience not to both panic and cuss his sister out six ways to Sunday. With a grumble he gave a flat ‘fine’ and said he’d talk it over with her on Saturday at the karaoke contest. “Could just as easy put her up in a hotel till you get back.”

“I’m sure she won’t mind at all,” His sister cooed over the receiver. “In fact, wouldn’t be surprised if that spare bed of yours is never even used.”

He hung up the phone before the rush of blood to his face and shallow breathing could be heard over the phone. He had to admit the thought had definitely crossed his mind over the past few days…and nights…and in the shower but now his whole sense of self suddenly seemed to kick into overdrive. He spent the whole next day washing just about anything fabric in his whole house along with scrubbing every baseboard, square inch of hard floor and even shampooed his carpet in preparation for even having the potential chance of her crossing his threshold.

By the time Saturday afternoon rolled by he’d bleached the grout in his bathroom, cleaned every scrap of grease out of his kitchen and had his truck detailed and still didn’t think any of it was good enough even as he rolled up to the parking lot of the local community hall, dressed in a new dark green button down shirt, his nicest pair of jeans and freshly polished boots. Standing there by the doors to the community hall he was getting a lot of odd stares, even a few gasps that he was even there. If nobody showed up in the next few seconds he was just gonna say 'fuck it' and go home.

“Well don’t you clean up nice!” Jimmy’s voice came up behind him, holding his daughter’s hand in his own as they came up across the parking lot. “Any spiffier and I’d s'pect you in a dang tuxedo.”

Clyde gave his brother a death glare, kneeling down to scoop up his niece and give her a hug and a little smile. “Hey Sadie.”

“Daddy's right, you look nice Uncle Clyde!” The little girl grinned. Something seemed to catch her eye and her smile widened. “Mellie!”

Panic started to set in as Sadie hastily wiggled out of his arms and ran past him. He could hear his sister happily hugging and talking to her niece as a shadow came around the side of him. “Trying to match my eyes with that shirt?”

Turning around he looked down at that familiar red hair, this time, tamed into a braid of red waves down her back. She was dressed in a light blue dress, something he recognized from his sister’s closet, a simple silver sweater jacket covering her shoulders and simple pair of black flats. Putting her hands on her hips she looked up at him, squinting a bit against the sun. She was absolutely breathtaking and to be honest he wanted nothing else but to throw her in the truck and take her someplace quiet just to keep her all to himself. Flexing his fingers he gulped nervously, trying to keep his face from looking too stupid.

Reaching up she poked him square on the nose, seeming to bring him out of his stupor. “You awake in there?”

“I’m good.” He nodded, red around the ears. “You’re good too. I mean pretty. You look pretty.”

CJ grinned up at him, biting her lower lip while she looked him up and down. “You clean up pretty good too, pulled back that hair and everything, huh?”

Mellie came up and grabbed a handful of it, ruffling it a bit. “I keep wanting to cut some of it off but he never lets me.”

Flinching away so she’d stop messing with it he ran his hand through his mess of black hair and frowned. “Dammit Mellie!”

“What?” She chided him. “You look better with it this way. More natural. At least I don’t’ try to buzz cut you like they did in the military. Oh you should have seen his ears!”

He all but started to walk away when a soft hand took him by the arm, keeping him close. Those green eyes looked up at him with a big smile. “Stop being all serious already. Let's get in and get something to eat before the singing starts, alright?”

She didn’t give him time to answer, all but pulling him through the doors and into the big hall. If she noticed just how many eyes were suddenly watching them like hawks CJ paid no mind to it, turning to talk to Mellie about the plans to eat and where to sit. He did notice how her grip on his arm seemed to tighten just a bit, almost like she was afraid he was going to leave her out in this sea of strangers.

Sadie picked a spot right up front while Jimmy slipped off to buy their meal tickets and a handful of raffle tickets for a few of the fancier door prizes. Slipping into their folding chair seats the little girl all but bounced with excitement, running and jumping into her daddy’s arms when he came back with a big number in his hand to pin to her pink dress to show she was in the contest. As he sat down he started handing out numbers. “Here, this is for you.”

“A door prize number?” She asked, slipping the ticket into the pocket of her jacket. “What’s up to win?”

“An ATV, the big deer head, couple nice dinner packages, and some more girly stuff.” Jimmy explained, waving off the end of the statement.

“That’s not all that’s for,” Mellie leaned in and explained. “That number is for the surprise amateur competition.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, everyone's got a number. If they call your name you have to go up and sing. It’s for fun and even if you’re terrible you get a prize but we do have a few judges that will give out special prizes to the best singers of the night.”

Sadie grinned. “I’m in the official competition. The winner tonight gets 500 dollars!”

“That’s a lot of money,” CJ told her sweetly. “What are you gonna do with all them dollars?”

“I’m gonna buy a special shelf to show off all my pageant crowns and trophies!” She said matter-of-factly, “And daddy’s gonna build it for me. Right daddy?”

“Sure sweetie, as big as you wanna make it.” Jimmy confirmed with a smile.

An announcement was made that food was ready and as a honor to the troops, veterans and senior citizens were allowed to get their food first. Clyde offered a hand if she wanted to go with him but she waved him off, making him takes Sadie instead. “She needs to eat first so her stomach’s settled before she gets on stage. Nerves and all that.”

“I’ve sung on stage before n'been fine.” The little girl insisted with a huff.

“But have you ever eaten right before you went out and sang?” The red head asked, the little girl finally shaking her head. “Trust me, eat now, no barfing later. Just don’t get any soda. Save the soda for AFTER you sing.”

They watched as the little girl went up with her uncle to grab first dibs on the food, Jimmy leaning in to offer thanks for letting Sadie eat first. “It helps just'n case I have to get her home, at least I know she’s eaten.”

“How’d you know all that stuff about singing?” Mellie asked. “Can you sing?”

“I was in choir in high school.”CJ said proudly. “Easier than having to learn some silly instrument, and freed me up for art classes.”

“I was into football so I didn’t have to take no music course save for the basic ‘music appreciation’.” Jimmy admitted. “And I skipped most of that.”

“I did shop and cosmetology.” Mellie added in kind. “And Clyde, well, he was pretty okay at baseball but other'n that he was more of a bookworm and didn’t get out much less Jimmy here was getting him into trouble.”

Jimmy feigned shock and appall. “Thought big brothers are supposed to do that!”

~_~_~_~

The meal was simple but delicious, a classic BBQ brisket, beans, corn on the cob with cobbler for dessert. After they ate Mellie talked Clyde into showing his date around the silent auction items to see if anything caught her eye. Without a second thought CJ wrapped her arm around his and pulled him along beside her as they looked over the various crocheted afghans and kitchen decor items, her pointing out a few things she found cute. It was like she was oblivious to the stares they got, the soft mumbles that seemed to all but echo in his head as he knew more than one group of people were talking about them. How could she be so calm about it when all he wanted to do was slip away and hide in the back somewhere or better yet just go back to his bar and ‘feed’ the regulars.

Her hand slipped out from around his arm as she stepped up to one of the tables, her green eyes fixed on a small figurine of a white elephant. It wasn’t anything fancy, about the size of a basketball with a flat surface on top where one might put a small lamp or other figurines but she seemed fixated on it. Looking down at the paper to fill out for the auction bids that soft smile faded from her lips. He could tell the reason, the bid was too high for her to afford. The damn thing was already over 150 dollars and it probably wasn’t but a 35 dollar decoration made of cheap ceramic.

“You okay?” He asked, his voice seeming to pull her out of her trance. She turned to him and smiled, grabbing his other arm and pulling him along again. This seemed to raise even more whispers as she had him by his left arm. His _fake_ arm. And still she didn’t seem to care, at least until he tried to pull it away from her.

“What? What’s wrong?” she asked, looking up at him. “Do we need to head back?”

“You don’t have to cling to me like this.” He looked down to where she was holding onto him, his face his usual solemn.

“Yeah Clyde, I do.” Her words were soft but spoke volumes, a determined look in her eyes. Without warning she slipped up onto her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek, all but grinning at him when she pulled away. “We’re already the talk of the town, might as well have a little fun while at it.”

He knew she was teasing, that she wasn’t angling to make any big scenes but that awkward feeling was still nagging at the back of his neck. It got a lot worse when an older woman approached them.

“Hello, I’m Susan Maylif, I’m one of the committee members for the tonight’s singing competition.” The woman introduced herself with a practiced calm. Clyde recognized her also as one of the local judge’s wife. Subconsciously he pulled CJ closer to him, wanting to put some distance between them and anyone related to law enforcement but his date was all smiles right back, holding her hand out to shake.

“Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Maylif. I’m CJ Turner. Just bought Mike Tilroy’s place off the east road.” She explained along with her introduction, letting her thick Texas drawl flare up and stand prominent. “Your event has quite the turn out Sure must make you proud!”

“Oh I am, indeed!” The old woman cooed happily, her eyes flicking up to Clyde. “Although I must admit I’m even happier to see out local recluse out and about a bit more than usual! How have you been Clyde? Your bar doing well?”

“Yes ma’am.” His answer was nearly as flat as cardboard.

“Did you come with your family…or is this a date?” Ah ha! There was the million dollar question.

CJ just smiled and stepped in front of her date almost like a human shield, holding a brilliant practiced smile Sadie would be proud to learn. “Both, actually. Clyde and Jimmy are helping me with work on the house and I was extended an invitation since Sadie’s in the contest.”

“Oh well how wonderful! I hope she does well!” The judge’s wife replied. “Have you two been dating long?”

The lights began to dim, signaling the contest was about to start, Clyde looking up and over the women’s heads to see Jimmy waving at them. His date was already on it, wrapping herself around his left arm and holding it tightly with a soft expression. “Sorry to cut this short but we should get back now. Hope to see you around Mrs. Maylif.”

She all but tugged his prosthetic off turning them around and pushing through the back end of the crowd, back around towards their seats. He pulled out her chair, as any gentleman should and sat down between her and Mellie.

“I saw Susan Maylif had you cornered.”Mellie whispered in his ear. “She still poking her nose in your business?”

“Calam had it handled.” He told her, turning his attention up to the stage as an announcer began his introduction to the contest. Sadie and the younger contestants would be singing in the junior’s division first then the amateur’s competition and finally the adult’s competition, judges giving out prizes between each set so that the parents could take kids home and whatnot after each group.

To her credit Sadie was second to last to sing, even going as far as to do a little dance as she sang her daddy’s favorite song, “Take me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. By the time the junior competition was over and judged, Sadie walked away with 3rd place, a small trophy and 50 dollars cash.

“You did great honey!” Jimmy told her, pulling her into his lap and hugging her for all she was worth.

“But I didn’t get enough money for my shelf.” She told him, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Jimmy just rocked her a bit, kissing her temple. “I can build you a shelf for 50 dollars that looks like it’s worth 500, how bout that?”

A smile twitched at the little girls lips, nodding in agreement before asking for a soda. Clyde offered to take her back up to get one, swinging back by the silent auction tables while Sadie picked out her drink from the ice chest. Snatching up a pen he found the elephant figure and eyed the price, the auction already up to 250. Without a second thought he doubled it, signing his name next to it before slipping back to pick up his niece.

While they’d been off the a door prize or two had been given away and the contestants had been picked for the amateur competition. By the time he got back to his seat, CJ was gone. “Where’s Calam?”

“She got picked for the contest, they’re giving the contestants a chance to pick a song before they start. I think she goes last.” Mellie explained, letting Sadie into her lap, soda in hand.

“I hope she doesn’t pick something girly.” Jimmy chirped, looking bored.

“Oh please, I know you like a few girly songs.” His sister teased. “In fact I know you know all the words to that Frozen song. Spotted you lip-syncing it in the car when you think no one’s looking.”

The first competitor got up onto the stage and the music began, saving Jimmy from having to admit to such a disgraceful thing and instead pretended to focus on the contest. Out of the 15 people picked, most were terrible, only 2 or 3 having any real singing talent until at last CJ slipped up on stage.

Nerves were obvious, at they had been with everyone who’d approached the microphone but she just stood there under the beaming spotlight, let out a long and steadying breath, and began to sing.

“ _Wise men say, only fools rush in,_

_But I can’t help, falling in love with you.”_

The whole room seemed to still in stunned silence as her voice echoed through the mic and into the room. A deep and pleasing alto fit perfectly for the song.

“ _Shall I stay, would it be a sin?_

 _If I can’t help, falling in love with you_.”

As she sang her eyes looked down to where she knew they were sitting, a smile slipping onto her lips as she sang, her eyes meeting his own like he was the only one there.

“ _Take my hand; take my whole life too,_

_For I can’t help falling in love with you.”_

 The roar of applause was as loud as it had ever been for anyone who’d came before, some even, Clyde and the family included, giving her a standing ovation.

It didn’t take a genius to peg her for the winner of the amateur division, walking away with a decent sized trophy and 500 dollars cash in winnings. Without a second thought she walked up to Sadie, knelt down and handed her the winnings. “Trade me. This way your daddy can make you fancy shelf like you wanted.”

Sadie gasped and all but launched her small self into the red-head’s arms with a hundred ‘thank you’s’, happy as clam to make the trade. As she pulled away and ran off to show her daddy the cash CJ rose to her feet, smiling softly after the little girl. Spotting Clyde she looked up at him, that smile spreading wider. “Like my song? They didn't have an Abba.”

“You sing a decent Elvis Presley.” He admitted, taking her hand and pulling her into a hug. “But giving Sadie that money was even better. Where’d you even learn to sing like that?”

“I told you, I was in choir in high school. Even got a couple trips in New York out of it too.”

“What’d you do in New York?” Mellie asked.

CJ just grinned. “Sang at Carnegie Hall.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yes, that is totally a jab at Channing Tatum and his lovely version of "Let it Go" from the lip sync battle. If you haven't seen it, it's on YouTube and worth every precious second.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: WARNING - SEX in this chapter!

“Still can’t believe you spent 500 dollars in this stupid elephant.” She told him, shifting the smooth (and a bit heavier than she thought) elephant statue in her arms. “You know they have these same things at Pier 1 for a fifth of the cost.”

“Thought you'd like it!” Clyde insisted, reaching for it to try to carry it for her, which she pulled back out of his reach. “Money went to a good charity anyway. But if you don’t want it guess I can just throw it away…”

“Don’t you dare hurt my elephant!” The red head snapped, hugging it to her chest tightly. “He’s lucky!”

Clyde paused in his walking to Mellie’s car, pulling out the keys to unlock the trunk. “What're you talking about?”

“White elephants are considered lucky in most cultures.” She explained, rubbing the elephant’s smooth head. “Having one around's supposed to bring you good luck.”

Popping the trunk she finally handed over the statue, Clyde carefully putting it in a small alcove of the trunk by Mellie’s tool box, wrapping the emergency blanket around it to keep it safe. “Wouldn’tve pegged you for a person who believes in luck.”

The young woman shrugged. “I think everyone has luck in some shape, form, or fashion, and some people are naturally lucky. I also believe that even if everything else is going wrong in life, if ya knuckle down and have a little faith, things'll turn round for the better eventually.”

He hesitated, looking up at her with that normal neutral face, one hand on the trunk lid. “You believe in curses?”

“Yup. Also believe in angels, demons and the good Lord above.”She nodded, hands on her hips. “I AM from the bible belt after all. Can’t beat a good ol' Texan Baptist church revival.”

“I haven’t been to church since…well since our momma died.” He told her quietly.

“Some folks just aren’t churchy people.” With a soft shrug she looked at him, shifting her feet. “I do like churchy Christmas music though. Can’t go wrong with ‘Away in a Manger’.”

Slamming the trunk shut they headed back towards the community hall, spotting Mellie and Jimmy waiting for them outside.

Jimmy was standing there, holding his sleeping daughter in the crook of one arm, her little trophy in the other. “I’ve gotta get her back home before her momma starts blowing me up about us being out this late. Thanks again for giving her your winnings, CJ.”

“Well I thought she did good enough for first place, so I think she earned it.” She reached up to give the little girl a soft pet on her sleeping head. “Just make sure to hold up your end and build her a trophy shelf fit for a queen.”

With a nod Jimmy headed off across the parking lot to his truck, leaving his siblings to watch him leave. As he pulled away Mellie put her hands on her hips, jutting out her chin a bit with a curt nod. “Whelp, I’m heading over to Joe Bang’s place for a nightcap. Clyde you think you can take CJ home for me?”

Clyde Logan’s face went pale and beat red all at the same time. “What you going over to Joe’s for?!”

“I told you, a night cap. Though I probably won’t actually come home until tomorrow.” Mellie admitted, walking by them towards her car. "He may be a crusty old sort but he's still good for a night."

Her brother hustled after her, the brunette surprisingly fast on those click clack high heels of hers she liked to wear. “Dammit Mellie, I KNOW what you're tryin to do. I wish you’d stop throwing me at her like this. Might as well put me in a damn catapult and launch me at her!”

“If I thought it’d help light a fire under your ass I would.” Mellie told him with a poke of her nail to his chest. “She likes you Clyde, she’s all but told you to your face and if it weren’t for your damn self-confidence issues I wouldn’t be surprised to see you two married by now!”

“Must I still remind you we’ve known each other for a week?!” He insisted.

“And Meme and Papaw knew each other 3 days before they decided to get hitched and they were married for 47 years! What’s your point? When you know, you know and right now I know you need get the lead out and make your move before I put a gun to your head and turn this into a damn shotgun wedding. You hear me Clyde Logan?” His sister had found herself a burr in her side and that burr was her youngest brother being a self-pitying fool. Reaching up she grabbed him by the ear and tugged, turning her big strong veteran of a baby brother into a yelping pup.

“Ow, OW! Alright already! I’ll take her home, Jesus!” He snapped, rubbing the side of his head when she let go. “Damn your long nails!”

Mellie turned away with a huff and a victorious smile, heel-toeing away to her Ford Fiesta and driving out of the parking lot and down the street like she’d fucking stole it. Muttering to himself the big man headed back across the parking lot to the woman in blue leaning against the passenger door of his truck. Looking up at him she couldn’t help the twitch of the lips while she tried not to smile at him. “Took you for a turn, didn’t she?”

“That’s Mellie for you.” He grumbled, pulling his hand away from his ear, sure he was bleeding from how hard she pulled. For a long minute they just stood there awkwardly staring at one another, Clyde not real sure how to proceed with this. “Ready to go home?”

“Did Mellie give you a house key? I don’t have one.”

Clyde Logan let out a string of swears that had a couple passing little old ladies gasp in surprise. He promptly stopped and went to giving his front tire a good hard kick, which hurt his foot more than the tire before finally giving up and looking back the woman leaning there waiting for him. “Left it at the house.”

The red head just shrugged, her green eyes flickering with amusement at him while he unlocked the truck, CJ climbing up in the beast of vehicle without a word.

~_~_~_~

The front door to his little trailer house creaked open with a click of the lock, robotic fingers flicking up the lightswitch and bringing light to the entryway space and living room. His ear still hurt from where Mellie had pulled it and his expression was sour, mood a bit on the foul side.

She’d laughed at him. She’d claimed she couldn’t help but after about 5 minutes of driving she’d all but erupted into a fit of laughter to the point of tears, telling him it was the way Mellie had yanked him down to her level and told him off. It didn’t help that he found the sound of her laughter damn infectious, almost laughing himself when she snorted, fanning herself with those long fingers to keep from crying. But he’d determined to pout all the way back to the house, leaving her to follow him up onto the porch and into the house.

Leaving her to close the front door he went to the kitchen, grabbing Mellie’s house key of a peg on the wall, hesitating a minute as he looked at it. “Got Mellie’s key.”

Green eyes looked around the little house, the first time she’d seen it. The furniture was well worn in, the sofa looking like it’d been slept on its fair share of times, a lap throw from the 1960’s flopped over the back colored in oranges, browns, and yellows. She could tell he’d cleaned, noting the fresh lines in the carpet and shampoo chemical smell, the fact that he’d gone through all the trouble just because there was a CHANCE she’d ever see the inside of his house brought a smile to her lips. Looking up at him she leaned against the wall, fiddling with the lapels of her sweater jacket. “What if I don’t want to go back to Mellie’s tonight?”

He didn’t answer her at first, just let those big green orbs hold his gaze, all but spelling out what exactly her staying here would entail. “Just cause my family thinks we should hook up doesn’t mean we have to Calam.”

The smile on her face faded a hint around the edges, those pale eyebrows knitting together a bit to form a cute little wrinkle between them. First disappointment, then sadness, and a hard flash of anger. “I couldn’t give to two shits about what your family wants, Clyde Logan. I know _I_ want to be here, but if you don’t want me then I guess I’ll meet you in the truck.”

She whirled around with a spin of the heel faster than his thick skull could let him think. He dropped the keys and bolted, all but leaping over a foot stool to get to the door before she did. “Calamity wait!”

His red-haired tornado already had the door partly open, sliding on the worn and creaking flooring he just about slammed himself into the door, smashing it shut and nearly cracking the poor thing in the process. Dark eyes looked down at green ones, putting his metal left hand over the door knob he slid his big person between her and the door, the pumping of blood rushing in his ears. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong.”

“What do you want Clyde Logan?” She asked him flatly, her anger practically burning him with its heat. “I know what I want. I want you. More specifically I want you to man up and kiss me like I know you want to cause you've done it before. I see it in your eyes and that stupid face you make when you look at me. I want you to act on what you feel instead of backing off in fear I’ll reject you. I’m literally about to walk out that door and never speak to you again no matter how much I’d like to jump your bones so for the love of God will you stop acting like a jackass and just kiss me already?!”

She’d been flailing her arms around as she chewed him out, even stomping her foot once or twice of emphasis. When he just stood there staring down at her like some simple minded fool and still didn’t say anything she tried to push him out of the way to get as far as she could away from him, that familiar hard, stabbing feeling of rejection wrenching around in the pit of her stomach.

He swooped her up with strong hands, lifting her off her feet and pinning her back against the wall all in one swift move, pushing his lips against her own. He kissed her like a desert man after a cold drink of water, pushing his hips against hers as a brace for leverage while his hand came up to cup her cheek. When the need for air was finally too much he pulled away, looking her in the eye with all the silent hunger he’d been craving since he’d first pulled her out of that hole in the porch.

Lips curled up into a pearly white smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was wondering when you'd finally pull your head outta your ass.”

His own lips twitched in kind, leaning over a bit to flick the lock on the front door before turning back to kiss her breathless again. “Shut up woman and kiss me.”

CJ was happy to oblige, opening her mouth to tangle her tongue with his own, moaning her delight when he pulled the tie free from her hair, loosing the braid down her back to tangle his fingers in her red waves. She wrapped her legs around his waist tight as he pulled her off the wall, carrying her out of the entry hall and around the corner to his bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them as she giggled, squealing when he dropped them both onto the bed.

The poor box springs, already shot to hell with age, squeaked and groaned as they wiggled up closer to the headboard, Clyde’s large form all but covering over her smaller, lighter one. Despite still wearing the prosthetic he favored his right hand to brace his weight, more than happy to let her grab his shirt and pull him down for a kiss much like she’d done the first time she’d done it in the Duck Tape.

Despite being the bigger of the two bodies on the bed, with a simple shift of weight she rolled them over, pinning him down into the mattress with a mischievous grin. She reached back behind her, managing to get the zipper on the dress down but had to admit defeat about the stupid clasp at the top of the back, giving Clyde a perfect opportunity to steal a kiss when he sat up to help her out. In return she hopped up off the bed and unlaced his boots, yanking them off with a firm tug, each falling with a solid thud on the floor. He watched as she lifted her blue dress up and over her head, flopping it over the back of the chair in the corner of his room and grinned at standing there in a simple black bra and black biking shorts.

“What?” She gave him an incredulous look. “It’s to keep from chafing.”

When he started laughing she crawled back over him with a huff and did her best to kiss the funnies away, her nimble fingers making quick work of the buttons on his shirt and already after his belt buckle while he pulled his shirt and undershirt up and over his head, suddenly stilling, making her look up.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, looking at him worriedly.

“I’m allergic to latex.” He told her simply, his face and neck turning a hint of red. “Don’t have no condoms. You on the pill?”

“No. Chemicals mess with my head.” She explained, her fingers stilling, his belt all but half pulled free.

“Fuck!” He snapped, flopping back on the bed and covering his face with his arm. So much for sex. “Now what?!”

The weight of her sitting on his upper legs shifted, those slender fingers wrapping around his wrist and pulling it up off his face and above his head. She looked down at him. “Will you relax? I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“What if you get pregnant?” He asked, all but glaring at her nonchalant mannerisms.

“Then I get pregnant.” She told him matter-of-factly. "If it bugs you that bad you could always just marry me."

“Great, a shotgun wedding. Just like Jimmie had when he got Bobbie Jo pregnant with Sadie.” Clyde all but laughed at the grump.

“Well you could marry me BEFORE I get pregnant too, it’s not like it’s a guaranteed thing you’ll knock me up in the first round.” Her tone was flat, almost bored with a hint of her more constant anger. She punched his upper arm for emphasis. “Neither of us are exactly youngsters in the back of your truck on prom night, now are we?”

He looked down his body at her, watching her blink those green eyes at him. “You want to marry me?”

“Probably wouldn’t say no if you asked me,” She crossed her arms over her bra covered chest, quirking an eyebrow at him, “but if you don’t stop sulking you’re definitely gonna kill the mood.”

Was this a proposal? Was she actually being serious? He couldn't really tell how much of this was joking and how much was truth. When he just sat there, staring at her to try to figure her out she just stared back, getting irritated at the delay. "We gonna do this or not?"

In one fluid movement he grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him, rolling them over to kiss her breathless all over again. Wrapping her hands around his neck she let them tangle in his dark hair, smiling to himself when a little mewling moan slipped past her lips. He started to undo his jeans again, more than happy to let her pull her lower halves free getting them all but free from one ankle before he was above her again, after that clasp around her back.

Fingers reached down and teased him as he slipped the straps free from her shoulders, pulling a groan from his deep tenor voice while his mouth made busywork of her breasts. It had been a long time since Clyde Logan had had any and as much as he wanted to make this long, love session last that hand of her was making quick work of him. Sliding his own fingers between soft folds pulled a soft sound from her lips that made him smile, using a practiced finger technique to finally get her let go and grab his wrist just to get him to keep her from going the edge herself.

Green eyes looked up at him with a soft expression, his little fire cat all but purring like a kitten when he pulled those fingers free and lined himself up, pushing inside his own little slice of heaven. There was a bit of an awkward moment when his prosthetic smacked into her hip, the cold metal making her jump a little in surprise before he pulled it loose, leaving only the nub part of his arm. She looked at it for a long minute before reaching out to touch it, running those slim fingers over the little knot of healed flesh at it’s tip before drawing little patterns along the skin. He watched her tease and touch it like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. He never let people touch his arm without his prosthetic save for Mellie and Jimmy. Hell he hated it when doctors and nurses touched it; it had taken him a long time to get used to it himself without being repulsed. But when CJ touched it, it was like a spark of electricity when through him, little tingles of energy traveling up his arm through his nerves and finally ending at his dick. He started to move in time with her touches, watching her arch and gasp, gripping at his elbow until she couldn’t seem to handle it anymore.

“Kiss me.” She told him, all but pulling him down on top of her to taste him while her arms and legs wrapped themselves around his large frame, keeping him close. They stayed like that, moving with each other until she came, clamping down around him until she nearly squeezed the air from his lungs, his own release following shortly after, letting go until there was nothing left but enough strength to roll to his side to keep from coming down on top of her and pulling her into his arms.

Fingers traced over his face, along his nose and jawline while they looked at each other. She traced those fingers all the way down to his nub and teased it again then back up, pulling him to her with a tug on his beard. “So when should I expect that proposal?”

Her question stunned him. She was serious; she hadn't been joking. He’d honestly thought she’d just been playing off the whole pregnancy worry so they could get on with it. But there was that look in her eye, the note of truth to her question to prove she was dead serious about it. When he didn’t speak she began to pull away, green eyes searching his own for an answer.

“Don’t know yet.” He told her honestly. It was all the answer he could give at the moment.

She made a face at him, pushing at him to finish rolling onto his back, lying a bit on top of him. “You’d better be telling the truth, Clyde Logan. I’ll shoot your balls off if I find out you’re lying to me.”

“You _want_ to marry me?” He asked, curiously.

CJ cocked her head to the side, blinking a dumbfounded look at him. “You want to marry _me_?”

He just stared back at her, wrapping his right arm around her naked frame. He'd never been so sure of something in his whole life. “Yes, I do.”

Crossing her arms under her chin so it wouldn’t stab into his side she smiled down at him, letting him happily tangle his fingers into her red curls. “Then I guess we should get married.”

A broad smile spread over his face, another mirroring one on her own. “Guess we should.”


	8. Chapter 8

The sun woke her up first, streaming into the room and on her face through the nearest window. It was warm just like the something she lay next to. Smiling she nuzzled up against it, rubbing her cheeks to burrow in a little closer, hiding from the sun for a few more minutes of precious darkness. It smelled good too, and familiar, like a certain someone’s body wash she’d gotten a whiff of when he'd pulled her out of that hole and ended up landing in his lap.

Green eyes blinked open, noting the broad slice of pale skin that was a man’s chest she as snuggled up against. Looking up that delicious bit of flesh she spotted little nips and bite marks around a long stretch of collarbone, a goatee spread wide with a smile and deep dark brown eyes staring down at her, watching her every move with silent ponderings. She whispered, almost afraid to shatter the moment. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He responded back, equally as quietly. “Sleep ok?”

She could feel how she’d all but wrapped herself around his bigger frame, their skin peeling apart from where apparently she’d drooled on him in the night. Biting her lower lip a giggle bubbled up against the back of the teeth. “Guess I did. You?”

He nodded, rolling them over so she was all but lying on top of him, twisting his fingers until they were tangled in a curl of her hair. “You wanna get up?”

Propping her head up on an elbow she watched him. She’d never seen him this relaxed. Then again, she felt she could bend over backwards and fly to the moon herself right now. Shifting her knee her thigh rubbed up against something, making her grin. “Someone already is. How’s bout another…20 minutes?”

Pulling her to him Clyde kissed her for all she was worth, enjoying just how well all her curved edges seemed to fit up against his. “Keep rubbing against it like that and we won’t need the whole 20.”

She was all giggles as they kissed, smiling against his lips.

“Clyde!” A familiar voice rang out from inside the house. “You up yet?!”

If it weren’t for the woman lying on top of him, Clyde Logan would have bolted out of bed. As it was he rolled them over so his back was to the door and pulled up the thicker blankets from the foot of the bed to hide her from prying eyes.

Jimmy came down the little hall to top at his brother’s door, pushing it open. “You _still_ in bed?”

Clyde just grumbled, acting like he was just waking up. “Go make breakfast or somethin.”

“Uh huh. Should I set two plates or three?” Jimmy asked, Clyde finally rolling over a bit to look at him, his brother pointing to the blue dress hanging over the back of the chair. “Didn’t think that was your color, little brother.”

Knowing they were busted CJ pulled the blanket off of her head and peaked over Clyde bigger frame, making sure the rest of her was still covered before giving a little finger wave. “Hey Jimmy.”

Jimmy gave a little wave back. “Have a good night?”

“And then some.” She grinned, ignoring the man blushing next to her. “Mind closing the door on your way out?”

Jimmy just grinned, giving her a little wink as he shut the door behind him.

~_~_~_~_~

“Apparently the new key to a woman’s heart is through 500 dollar elephant statues.” Jimmy chided his brother as he came shuffling into the kitchen in his favorite old t-shirt and shorts. He slipped into his usual seat at the table, his long legs bumping into the underside of the table and rocked back in the rolling kitchen chair.

“Better get it off your chest while she’s in the shower.” Clyde told his brother’s back, giving him his usual blandly-irritated expression. The sounds of a woman singing in the shower made him look up, a hint of a smile twitching at his lips.

Finally looking over his shoulder Jimmy could barely contain the laughter, looking his brother over. “She really rang your bells last night, didn’t she? I haven’t seen you smile like that since Sally Walker let you touch her boobs back in 2nd grade. It’s about time you got some. Gotta ask though, man to man, she as hot in bed as she is in the head?”

His smile turning a little wicked, brown eyes looking at his brother. “She bites.”

Loud laughter rang out in the kitchen, the elder Logan just shaking his head as he pulled the bacon from the pan and started on the rest of breakfast. “You think you’ll ever tell her about the job?”

Clyde’s smile shrunk down to nothing. “She don’t need t’get wrapped up in all that.”

“Well I talked it over with the contractor and he found some water damage in the basement that needs addressing sooner rather than later. Tack on rewiring that whole house, new floors, roof, and everything else that house needs and there goes a BIG chunk of your bit; and that ain’t even including what she’s offering to put in OR what’ll take to set up that shed of a thing for her business. How are you gonna explain how all this is getting worked on or where the money’s coming from to pay for it? She’s gonna ask, she ain’t stupid.”

“Just need some time to figure is all.” Brother versus brother, a tell tale standoff of wills, each giving the other the eye.

“You’re serious about this one, aren’t you Clyde?”

Clyde went real quiet, looking off to where the sounds of running water had stopped. Just picturing her standing there drying off and getting dressed made him shift in his chair, his feet all but itching to go to her, scoop her up and carry her off back to the bedroom to get dirty all over again. He must be out of his mind to be this deep into a woman he’d known less than a week but by god one look from those green eyes and he was all but undone. “Too far gone not to be.”

“Just don’t go off and do something really stupid, now, like proposing marriage.” Jimmy warned, waving a spoon at him. Clyde didn’t say a damn word.

 Bare feet shuffled into the kitchen, quirking a pale eyebrow as Jimmy. Clyde looked her over, dressed in his favorite Bob Seeger t-shirt and the shorts from under her dress last night. She was decently dressed, definitely better than some of the half-naked women he’d seen walking around Jimmy’s place from time to time, but the way those wet curls fell over her shoulders like a waterfall at sunset had him licking his lips, and not just to get the coffee off his teeth.

“Talking about me, I’m sure.” She quipped, smacking Jimmy on the shoulder for good measure before heading straight for Clyde to slip into his lap and pull his left arm around her. He wasn’t wearing his prosthetic yet, and for a brief moment he hesitated to hold her too tight but she leaned in, pressing her soft lips to his cheek and all that self-doubt was forgotten. “You’re almost out of body wash.”

Jimmy cleared his throat with a groan. “You gotta to be all lovely dovey now? I’d like to eat my meal not upchuck it.”

“Grow up Jimmy,” She snapped, shifting so she was straddling Clyde’s leg like a kid playing horsey. “How many times you start smooching on a girl in front of Clyde, making him watch _you_ have all the fun?”

He pointed his fork at her, shaking it a bit before shrugging, going back to his food.

Pulling away his arm from around her middle to let her get up Clyde had her take the seat at the head of the small table between the two brothers, getting their meal split up between them.

“I’m actually very happy for you.” Jimmy said, taking in a mouthful of food. “See I’m pretty sure he hasn’t gotten any since he came back from Iraq so he’s been needing a good fucking for years now. I’m sure he’s so rusty he squeaks.”

CJ just grabbed for a cup of coffee out of the cardboard carrier, popping off the lid to see if it had cream and sugar. “Oh he’s not as rusty as you think, Jimmy. Only thing squeakin' last night was the bedsprings.”

Jimmy all but spit out his piece of bacon, giving her a wide eyed look as she got up to grab milk from the fridge. Looking at his brother in shock he jabbed a finger in her direction. Clyde just grinned, letting her fight this little battle on her own. She could fling bull just as good as any man he’d ever met (or Mellie) and it looked like she already had his brother on the ropes.

“Don’t point at people, Jimmy. It’s rude.” She snapped, half her body hidden behind the fridge door, grabbing out the milk.

“How’d you know I was pointing?” Jimmy asked haughtily.

Giving him a look she kicked the door closed. “You just told me.”

Slipping back into her seat she ignored the look the older Logan was giving her. “Crazy woman and her jedi mind tricks…”

“Not jedi,” She insisted, suddenly very serious, her hand pausing in her reach for the sugar bowl. “I preferred the sith to the jedi. They seemed to have more fun.”

“Figures.” Jimmy chuckled. “We went trick or treating as Star Wars characters one year back when we were kids. I was Han Solo, Mellie was Leia but oddball Clyde here just had to be  Darth Vader.”

“Still have the helmet too.” Clyde added, almost with pride.

“Gonna have to see if it still fits.” She gave him a teasing look as she spooned in a few scoops of sugar and stirred it in. The brothers just looked at each other for a second. Her phone began to go off, singing the chorus of “Dancing Queen” but Abba loud enough to hear from where her purse lay forgotten on the couch. She all but bolted out of her seat to grab it answering it hastily while slipping off into the other part of the house. The boys finished eating while she was gone and were nearly halfway through the dishes when she came back, already completely redressed from last night. “Got a massage gig for this afternoon; need to swing by Mellie’s to grab my stuff. Jimmy, you think you can swing me by there?”

“I’ll take ya, Calam.” Clyde suggested, standing there at the sink, dish in his hand.

“Gig’s on the other side of town. ‘Sides you said you had to get your stock orders done for truck on Tuesday.” At his sullen expression she stepped up to him and touched his cheek, his head all but automatically lowering for her to kiss him softly. “Poor Pod’s probably crossing his legs ‘bout now anyway. I’ll swing by Duck Tape when I’m done, k?”

Despite the very distracting kiss Clyde made a face, his usual neutral expression filled with a bit more pout. Not because she was leaving, although that did bug him since all he wanted to do now was take her back to bed for the rest of eternity, but because she was right. Messing around with her house had thrown him off schedule about the bar and if he didn’t get those orders put in he’d be up shit creek without a paddle. Making a face he watched her go off with Jimmy, at least grabbing her coffee and her slices of bacon before she left.

Putting the dish back in the sink he went to go get his arm, all but shuffling at a snail’s pace to do it. He passed the bathroom that smelled like her (well smelled like him really but now she smelled like him too) and entered the bedroom to pause, staring in awe. She’d made his bed. He hadn't made his bed since the military and here she’d gone and done it for him. On top of that she’d grabbed all the clothes on his floor and tossed them in a laundry basket he’d been too lazy to take back to the laundry room and even grabbed his boots from last night where they’d been tossed around on the floor and lined them up with the rest of his shoes along a spot on the wall. His room hadn’t looked this clean, in a long time. He hadn’t bothered to clean it since he honestly hadn’t expected to ever have her in it.

Looking the whole space over he suddenly found it very small and despite her making up the bed it looked terrible with worn out sheets, ragged out blankets, and a definite Clyde-sized rut in the middle. He really should get a new mattress soon, and the box springs should probably go too since they squeaked like the dickens. Clyde could all but see her lying there sleeping, waves of red hair tangled up over a nice fluffy pillow, looking up at him.

Ah to hell with it, the whole damn thing needed to be thrown out!

His phone started to buzz on the nightstand, bringing him out of his serious plans for redoing the whole room, Jimmy’s name popped up on his screen. “What?”

“See my surprise yet?” Her voice asked over the hum of Jimmy’s truck driving down the road.

“Making up the bed?”

“Yeah. It’s a thanks for letting me crash at your place last night.” There was mumbled talking in the background followed by a loud ‘shut up Jimmy’. “Listen, Jimmy’s gonna swing me by my storage unit to grab a few things. Turns out Mellie’s getting her house fumigated so I’m gonna be staying with you for a bit.”

She wasn't asking. Then again after what’d they did last night she didn’t need to ask. “That’s fair.”

He could hear the humor in her voice. “Thought you’d say as much. Jimmy's got work so Mellie’s gonna drop off Pod and my stuff before you head out to the bar. And Clyde…”

“Yeah?”

“Check under your pillow.” She hung up on him.

Sitting on the side of the bed he pulled the pillow he’d used last night up and found a note, written on the back of some random piece of paper he’d had lying around and folded in half. Flicking it open he read it and smiled widely to himself at the phone number written on it and her name:

_XXX-XXX-XXXX_

_CJ_

Typing in the number he paused a minute before typing out his message, staring at the words before finally hitting send. Her answer was in his hand before he could even put the phone down.

Clyde: _I love you._

CJ: _I know._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reread through my previous chapters and did a little editing. Nothing major, just a few scenes and some dialogue needed rewriting. I had to keep reminding myself how rarely Clyde speaks and even then he's a man of few words. So if you want to leave a review or comment, please do, I love to hear from people about my work. And thanks to everyone who'd read my stuff so far!


	9. Chapter 9

DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!

CJ hit the metal bowl again, making it chime a lovely major tone, letting it resonate through the old lady’s body that lay prone on the massage table. The woman ‘ah’d’ in calm, just on the edge of falling asleep. She hit the bowl with a soft ended mallet a couple more times, giving each a space to resonate into the woman’s lower back until at last she took it off and put it to the side, a soft tap to the woman’s arm letting her know her session was done. “How do you feel?”

“You were right about that bowl thing. My back is still tingling!” She said getting up, CJ keeping busy putting things away while her client retied her robe. “Haven’t felt this good in years!”

“Well I’m glad you feel good but don’t work yourself to hard now. Make sure to drink a good glass’r two of water as well.” The red head told her softly. “If you’d like I can set you up a schedule and I could see you sometime next week.”

“Oh that would be nice dear but I’m afraid this was just a small treat for myself for my birthday.” Despite the woman’s pleasant demeanor, her words stung a bit, CJ doing her best not to let it show as she pulled a few wet wipes from her bag and began to wipe down her table.

“That’s alright, ma’am. Everyone deserves a little pampering every now and then.”

The old woman chuckled and scuttled off to where her clothes were, leaving the red head to finish up cleaning and packing away her kit while the client changed. As she came back, pocketbook in hand, she paused, those gray eyes, though a bit milky with cataracts, looked the thin woman over a minute. “Are you really dating one of the Logan boys?”

CJ paused, looking at her with a hint of surprise. “Yes ma’am I am.”

“Which one is it?”

“Clyde Logan.” She said, thinking of him brought a smile to her face. “He’s a regular prince charming.”

The woman seemed to relax a bit; letting out a breath she’d been holding in. “Oh good, I was hoping you’d say that. He was always the sweetest of the Logan’s and by far the quietest.”

“Guessin’ you know the Logan’s well?” CJ asked, wiping off her hands with the baby wipes before folding up her table.

“Oh yes, very well. I was the librarian for the local elementary school until I retired. I remember Clyde was always coming in to read books whenever he could. He was by far my favorite, always so polite and shy. I used to sneak him candy when his brother and sister weren’t around; it was a secret just between him and me.” Her face seemed to lighten up at the memory, popping open her wallet and handing CJ a small wad of cash.

Green eyes blinked down at the cash, counting it quickly. “Ma’am, this isn’t the amount we agreed on. You gave me too much.”

“Oh no my dear,” The old librarian chuckled to herself. “I gave you exactly what you earned for today.”

There’s a trick to dealing with little old southern women. If they give you extra, and still refuse to correct the mistake after you told them about it, don’t force the issue and keep the money. Those are the sweet little old ladies everyone wishes were their grandma but the ones who have them rarely acknowledge just how special they are. CJ smiled and tucked the money away, slipping her table into its overly large carrying bag and managed with it and the rest of her stuff tucked up in a duffle bag, to get to the front door. Her client opened it for her, spotting a familiar figure leaning against the side of his truck across the street.

Putting the heavy bags down for a rest out on the little white porch she looked down at him. “Clyde?”

Dressed in a red flannel shirt unbuttoned to show his black t-shirt underneath and black jeans he looked up at them. Without a word he stood up, crossing the street and hopping up the steps of the porch. “Hi Miss Brown.”

“Hello Clyde. Come to be a prince charming and help your girl out again?” The glossy-eyed old woman smiled up at what she could see of his face.

Clyde just nodded, especially liking how Miss Brown called CJ 'his girl'. Grabbing the strap to carry the table and slinging it over his should like it weighed nothing, the duffle bag in his right hand, letting CJ popped the trunk of her car for him to put her stuff in it, still confused as to why he was here.

“Just what're you up to being here Clyde?” She finally couldn’t help but ask, putting her hands on her hips. “I thought you had stock orders to fill?”

“Finished up early.” He closed the trunk with a thud, looking at the women on the porch. “Need your help with something.”

“Which is?” She asked, coming down from the front porch to meet him by her car.

 “Clyde!” Miss Brown called, waving at him to come up onto the porch. As he came close she beckoned him to lean down, putting something in his hand. “For later.”

Looking down in his hand he smiled just for her to see, putting it in his pocket to give her hand a squeeze. “Thanks Miss Brown.”

“You ever gonna answer my question?” CJ hollered at him from over by her car, hands still on her hips and looking irritated.

With a soft goodbye Clyde meandered down the steps toward the irritated woman he’d fallen for. “Get in the truck.”

“My car is right here.” She insisted, pointing to it for emphasis. “Why would I get in the truck?”

Clyde shifted from foot to foot. “Cause I asked?”

“That ain’t asking. So why should I get in the truck?”

“Told you, I need your help with somethin’.” He shifted again, looking awkward. “Please get in the truck?”

“Better, but still no. Now you either explain what’s going on or give me some sort of reason to get in that truck or I’m gonna mnph…!” As she’d been starting up Clyde took and minute to look around, make sure no one was looking before tucking down to push his lips against her own, catching her mid-rant. It took just a second for her to react, gripping the lapels of his flannel shirt and tugging on them to keep him close while her eyes shut. When she finally let him pull away her brain almost couldn’t remember what she’d been so mad about. Almost. “You're playing dirty, Logan.”

“NOW will you get in the truck?” He asked, almost desperate but still very close since she still had a tight grip on his shirt. “Already got someone coming to get your car.”

Looking him in the eye she made a ‘tck’ sound with her tongue and grabbed her purse out of the passenger seat, marching past him to hand Miss Brown (who was still standing on the porch watching the whole scene go down) a few of her business cards to give to her friends at the bridge club or wherever Miss brown went for fun. Turning with a friendly smile she walked past her Nissan and across the street to Clyde’s truck, him waiting patiently for her to buckle up before firing it up to head down the street.

“You gonna t…”

“Nope.” He cut her off, pulling out of the suburbs and onto a main street. They stayed like that, obstinately silent, until he finally pulled off into a shopping center, grabbing a parking spot towards the back of large store with a big red bullseye above it.

“You made me leave my car and come all the way here to go shopping?!” CJ exclaimed in frustrated surprise. “Why the hell are we here? And this time you’d better give it to me straight or no ‘mount of kissin’ s’gonna get you outta me bein’ pissed!”

The longer she hollered the thicker her drawl got, jabbing her finger at him and turning in the truck to face him fully. Lowering his head a little he mumbled, “Sheets.”

“What was that?”

He repeated it, this time a bit louder. “Sheets.”

“What about ‘em?” Crossing her arms over her chest.

“I need some, my other ones…died.” If she could see his ears she’d have seen how red they were. “I washed ‘em and they…disintegrated.”

“Don’t you have more?” Clyde gave her a look. If he did they wouldn’t be sitting in a store parking lot. Taking in a deep breath to calm herself down she closed her eyes and counted to 5, opening them up to see those big puppy-dog brown eyes looking pitiful. “So why am I here?”

Shifting in the seat he cleared his throat. “Don’t like shopping much.”

His left arm twitched, probably subconsciously, but enough for it to catch her eye and look down. The lightbulb came on like a slap to the face. While most men normally don’t like shopping regardless, it would make sense Clyde hated it even more. People staring, talking behind his back or in other isles where people’s whispers still traveled. She could remember her and her mother going shopping with her Pawpa back when he was alive and being embarrassed to be around him and that was just him putting about in his motorized wheel chair or a cane, her mother having to lift him by the seat of his pants just to get him in and out of the truck.

Reaching over she touched Clyde’s arm, making him turn to look at her. Crawling close she pulled his face to hers and kissed him, softly, pouring every ounce of affection she could into him through her lips. By the time they’d finished checking each other for cavities the ‘fun’ way the red head was all but straddling him in the driver’s seat, practically sitting on the steering wheel. From this position he had to look up at her a bit, which brought a small smile to her lips. “Better?”

He just stared at her, not sure if he really needed sheets anymore. A bed still worked without sheets, right?

When he didn’t answer CJ flicked him on the nose and giggled. “Come on. Sooner we get what we need, sooner we can go home and break'em in.”

Clyde was out the truck and locking it behind them faster than she’d ever seen him move (except when there’d been a snake involved) and marching his way towards the store. She had to jog a bit to catch up with him, slipping her hand into his own to keep the pace when he slowed at the entrance, the nerves getting to him a bit.

“Come on.” She told him, dragging him a hard right towards past the clothing towards the houseware items, finally coming to a stop at the bedding section.

When he tried to grab the first set he could off the shelves he fussed at him, griping that it was the wrong kind. “That’s flannel, you’ll sweat like the dickens with those in summer. We need cotton, the higher the thread-count the better. What size is your bed again?”

Clyde just shrugged, Mellie had been the last one to buy him sheets, he just slept on them. She rolled her eyes and mumbled something about a ‘queen’ and to look for ones with the letter ‘Q’ on them. He was busy looking over the wall of sheet sets in their little plastic case bags when a woman and her little boy came around the corner and into the isle. Her pale blue eyes took one look at him and froze, startled.

Taking a step backwards she pulled the cart around him, keeping her head low, obviously uncomfortable, the little boy looking up at him, then at his prosthetic arm, giggling. “Look mommy, a pirate!”

The woman gasped in horror immediately offering up apologies. “Oh I’m so sorry! He didn’t mean anything by it. Bobby, say you’re sorry!”

“But mommy, he’s a pirate! Just look at his hand!” The little boy pointed at Clyde’s arm. Clyde just stood there, feeling awkward and out of place when a hand came up and wrapped himself around his middle, red-hair tickling the underside of his beard while his green-eyed protector wrapped herself around him.

Her eyes locked with the little boy’s and smiled down at him sweetly. “No he ain’t. Can’t you tell a superhero when you see one?!”

“A superhero?” The little boy asked, his eyes getting wide.

“Yup, just like Captain America’s friend Bucky. You know ‘bout Captain America, don’t you?” They watched the little boy nod vigorously. “Then you’d best be good or he’s gonna tell Captain America you’ve been calling good guys pirates!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hero.” The little boy said, looking at him, pausing to think before he spoke again. “Can he be a pirate superhero?”

CJ laughed and tapped the little boy’s nose. “We’ll see what we can do. Listen to your momma now, k?”

His mother apologized again, and thanked them for not being mad while slipping from the isle, Bobby waving at them as they went around the corner. Clyde just looked down at the top of her head, the sheet set still in his hand as she looked up at him. “You’re pretty good with kids.”

“What?” She asked, blinking up at him. “Told you ‘bout me being a teacher back in the day. It’s all ‘bout ‘redirection’. Least it was only one, just imagine 30 of ‘em pestering you with questions all day.”

The edges of his lips twitched with a smile, just imagining her surrounded by kids tugging on her dress hollering ‘momma’ each one with that bright red hair all curled across their heads. “I think you’d do well with kids.”

Holding his gaze she could see that twinkle of mischief hidden in those deep dark orbs, a flush coming over her cheeks. Pulling her arms from around his middle she stepped back, tucking a red curl behind her ear and snatching the plastic bag from his hand. “1500 thread-count?! This must be the most they sell here, you sure about this one?”

To be honest he didn’t care if he was sleeping on sandpaper as long as she was right there in bed with him. When he didn’t answer she took it as a yes, taking a second to make sure they were the right size and came with pillowcases before giving him a dazzling smile and a peck on the cheek. “Nice choice. Like the blue color too.”

“Reminded me of you.” He said softly, following behind her a bit as she also grabbed a simple mattress pad and a couple new pillows. He could see her blushing a bit but didn’t say anything all the way through checkout and into the truck. As they got seated he pulled the candies out of his pocket, caramels that were now nice and soft from his pocket. "Here."

“Who’d you get to go pick up my car anyway?” She asked, buckling herself in and popping the candy in her mouth with soft 'thanks'.

“Fish and Sam Bang said they’d get it. They’re Joe Bang’s idiot brothers.” He answered, heading them back toward his trailer house.

“Fish?” She blinked at him. “You sure it’s smart to let a man named ‘Fish’ drive a car?”

He shrugged, not wanting to tell her that while the Bang brothers DID know how to drive they’d never actually gotten their licenses on account of driving like crash dummies. “They keep it safe.”

CJ made a face but otherwise didn’t bring it up again, sitting in comfortable silence all the way back to Clyde’s place.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sex in this chapter! Enjoy!

Sam and Fish Bang were waiting on Clyde’s front porch when they drove up, each waving the beer bottle in their hand at them with a grin, her little Nissan parked just off a ways from where Clyde’s truck usually sat. They were dressed just like a redneck man should, Sam showing off his white wife-beater and overalls while his brother looked like a skinnier version of Larry the Cable Guy complete with ball cap.

“Bout time y’all showed up!” Sam yelled of his perch on the front porch. “Was beginnin' ta wonder if we're gonna have to take that lil car there for a joyride.”

“You do and I’ll knock your teeth out!” CJ hollered back, plastic shopping bags hanging off each arm, more than happy to carry the stuff they bought while Clyde got the door for her. Pod came bounding around the side of the house jumping straight up and down like a bunny rabbit in front of her until she shifted her bags to one arm and giving him a good scratch behind the ears, then watching him dart off once he’d made his “happy you’re home” presence known.

“Yer dog is broken, by the way.” His brother said, “Don’t like yer face er nuthin!”

“It’s cause I taught him that way.” She told him coming up the front steps. “They say dog’s got clean mouths but they sure lick their butts a lot.”

“Ain’t lyin there.” Sam chimed, finishing off his drink, looking CJ up and down. “You sure got some red hair lady.”

“And you sure got a big mouth.” As she passed Fish she paused, sniffing the air and turning to him. “Why do you smell like peppermint?”

Fish froze, mouth on his bottle and looked at her. Pulling the bottle away from his lips he grinned. “I brush my teeth a lot.”

“Like hell,” marching into the house she dropped the bags on the couch then all but ran back out to her car, popping the trunk and sniffing. She pulled her duffel bag out, rummaging through it a minute while the men watched her backside(which Clyde didn’t appreciate other men looking at her like that) as she bent over until she yelped and pulled out a small bottle. “Did you drink my peppermint oil?!”

“Nah,” Sam insisted for his brother. “Just splashed it a bit here and there in parts.”

“These are essential oils, not cologne! You know how much that little bottle of oil was worth? $20!”

“Shoot, you got ripped off.” Fish grinned, chugging the last of his beer and chunking it into the big trashcans off the steps of the porch. “Whelp, we gotta head out now. Who’s payin us for bringing the car up here?”

“You ain’t getting shit you little thief!” CJ snapped, her face nearly as red as her hair. She chunked the little bottle into the trunk and slammed it shut. “Who told y’all you could get into my stuff?”

“What you mean we ain’t getting paid?! Clyde! You gonna let this bitch talk to me like that?” Fish demanded, jabbing his thumb back at CJ.

Clyde, who’d been standing on the front porch, watching his fury of a woman take stock of the things in her trunk suddenly got real still. He’d been more than happy to let CJ fight her own fight mostly because he knew she could handle it, but the moment Fish opened his mouth and called her that he was seeing red. “What’d you just call her?!”

“A b-yaaaaaaahhhhh!” Fish yelped and hollered like a cat caught up by the tail. CJ had grabbed that thumb he’d jutted out at her and twisted it back in a painful position, so far to the point she had that boy down on his knees at her feet. “Oh Mary and baby Jesus, woman, you’re gonna break my damn finger off!”

“You ever call me that again I’ll do more than just break a finger! Now apologize before I knock you into next week!” She bent over him and looked him in the eye to make sure he knew she was serious.

“Alright, Alright, I’m sorry!” As soon as he said it she let go of his fingers, letting him fall forward on his hands and knees. As added emphasis she put her foot to his backside as he was getting up, making him stumble a few steps forward.

CJ stood there, glaring that viper look at him before turning it to his brother. “You got anything to add?”

“No ma’am.” He shook his head, hands up in surrender.

“Good. Now you and your sorry ass brother get off this property before I tan both your hides six ways to Sunday!” She watched Sam hop off the back railing of the porch and come around to his brother, keeping him a step ahead of him until they got to their beat up old chevy parked off a ways. “And tell Fish he owes me $20 for the oil!”

A roll of thunder grumbled through the air as she came back up onto the porch, watching the Bang brothers drive. Clyde came up behind her and wrapped his right arm around her middle, her body leaning into his a bit. It was a comfort thing; being close to each other help unruffled the hackles that were up and sooth the inner blood rage of one very aggravated ex-military.

“You might want to send them a message that if he DID drink any of it, he’s gonna have one heck of a belly ache.” CJ said aloud, watching them drive off. “I only had half a bottle left and it was diluted but still, he doesn’t need to suffer a visit to the ER.”

Clyde just grunted, another grumble of thunder beginning it’s boom again. The wind had picked up a little, big grey clouds coming in from the east. He pulled her close, holding her a little tighter as he looked out from under the covered porch. “Looks like rain.”

“Good, rain always makes me feel better.” She looked up at him. The longer she looked at his humdrum face she more she smiled, reaching up to touch his face. “I appreciate you trying to come to my rescue. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

“I would have killed him.” Clyde looked her in the eye, being very serious with his words.

“I know, that’s why I handled it.” She tugged on his beard just bit before letting go. “Got more patience that people think I do. Now come help me put these sheets on the wash before they get put on the bed.”

The tall man made a face, the ear-piercing whistle summoning the dog inside before the rain kicked in and they all trooping inside. “Thought we were gonna break’m in?”

“Always wash sheets before you put them on a bed Clyde. It’s just good sense.” She told him, grabbing the plastic case out of the shopping bag and heading to the back where the little utility room was. It was more of a closet than a room, barely enough space for one person to stand and move around in. She started to unpack the sheets from the case and toss the items into the washing machine along with some dry soap and turn the nobs like she’d like lived here and used this machine a million times. He watched her move with practiced grace, leaning against the doorway.

“Don’t have time to get them all done before I gotta go to work.” He said softly, making her look at him.

Looking at him she gave him a little mischievous smile before pulling her scrub top up over her head and tossing it into the wash with the sheets, doing the same with the bottoms she shimmied out of until she was left standing in her bra and panties. The scrubs had been a light blue color and would wash well with the sheets but her underthings were white with a soft roll of lace around the top of each cup and the waistline of her panties. “Think I should throw these in too?”

He just watched her, his mouth suddenly very dry and his fingers itching to grab her and do her right on top of the washing machine. Gulping he nodded, watching her strip down to her birthday suit and toss the items in before pushing past him through the kitchen, living room and to his bedroom, quirking a finger at him to follow like a puppy at her heels.

There were a few new things in his room he noticed upon entering, a large old-school blue suitcase, her backpack on the chair, and a couple pairs of shoes lined up next to his own. She’d officially moved in. The thought made his mouth twitch with a smile as she sat on the edge of his bed, cocking her head to the side so her hair fell in long red waves down her back while she looked at him. “Now I’ll be staying here while you’re at work. Got a couple clients tomorrow and can’t be staying out all night watching my prince charming tend the bar. So here’s my plan for the night: I’m gonna get those sheets washed and put on this bed and we’ll get’m broken in when you get home. But until then, I want you to get those dirty clothes sorted so I can get'em washed and outta that basket.”

She couldn’t be serious. She honestly expected him to sort laundry while she sat naked on his bed? Thinking it was a joke he started to approach her, Cj sticking out a foot at him, shaking her head. Fuck, she WAS being serious.

“Come one big man.” She teased with a wink. “They say things are all the more sweeter when you work for it.”

The smile that was hinting at his lips faded a bit, him hastily dumping the laundry basket out onto the floor and kneeling on the ground to start throwing things in piles.

“White and lights in one pile, darks in the other.” She told him, pointing at a couple shirts. “No, those are mediums, they go in a separate pile.”

“What the hell’s a medium?” He grumbled, one of those who just washed everything altogether in one load.

“That shirt in your hand, that one over there and that one.” She pointed at them, leaning forward a bit to point at them.

This gave Clyde a wonderfully wicked idea. Looking at her he pointed to some random shirt. “This one?”

“No, that’s a dark. The one next to it.”

He ignored the one she was pointing to and picked up a different one. “So this one.”

“No, Clyde. The red one right there.” CJ scrunched up her nose, leaning very far over, her boobs all but dangling there beneath her, making him lick his lips a little.

He picked up a different shirt, acting like he couldn’t see it. “This one.”

“Damn it Clyde, you big dummy!” She got up off the bed and marched over to him to point right in front of his face. “That one, can’t you see it!”

He lunged for her, knocking her back onto the carpet and pulling her to him all in one move.

She let out a squeal at being caught up in his arms, whacking her palms on his chest and snarling a bit. “Clyde you big cheat! Get off me, it’s not all sorted yet!”

“To hell with laundry.” He replied, lowering his lips to her and catching his flame-headed tempest in a deep kiss. He could feel her begin to still and wrap herself around him, pulling him closer against her body, a little whimper slipping past her lips when he pulled away.

Gripping his flannel shirt she looked down his large frame to the growing bulge in his jeans then back up to his face. “These clothes need to be washed too right?”

Clyde chuckled down at her as he pulled away and shucked his shirt and over shirt, feeling her hands already on his belt, having it almost free when he pushed her back on the floor. “What’s your rush? We got a little time.”

He pulled his prosthetic loose from his arm and told her to lie back, shifting her legs apart, each bent at the knee. Running his hand down her legs he kissed his way across her inner thigh to her center, giving her a wicked smile before diving in for the first course.

CJ managed to get out a little squeak before her eyes crossed and her fingers found themselves grabbing handfuls of his hair, dragging her nails along the back of his scalp to push that wiggling tongue of his a bit deeper. This man may be a hand down but his tongue had game, enough to make her lift up a bit just to watch him, a face full of confusion. “Just w-where d-did you learn to do tha-AT!”

Looking up her body through the valley of her breast he watched her head roll back with a loud moan, squirming when he pulled away to answer her question. “I like tongue twisters.”

“Tongue twisters?” She asked.

Pushing his mouth back down against her lips he opened his mouth and began to speak, that deep tenor voice of his reverberating against her fold making her whole body twitch. She didn’t catch a word of what he said, but with his mouth and tongue wiggling around down there she sure liked the way he said it! With a push of his hand he spread her legs out wider, pushing in deeper until her ass was all but off the ground. He had her to the brink before he finally pulled back, licking the taste of her from his lips and crawling up her prone form.

That viper look was back and she started cussing him out, griping at him for stopping while he wiped his mouth on the back of his nub of an arm and dove in again, this time for her lips proper, silencing her complaints and ignoring the claws that dug deep into his back. She bit at his lip, pulling it teasingly while they kissed, god he couldn't get enough of her! The way she kept herself tangled around him, moaning against his lips and rocking against the front of his pants he was damn near undone.

Roughly he pushed her off him, letting her fall back on the floor while he shifted back on his knees and starting undoing his pants with practiced precision. “Roll over.”

Those green eyes of her practically sparked with anticipation as she shifting, repositioning onto her hands and knees. His one good hand slipped up over her thigh and lifted her up and back to meet him, letting go to align himself properly then sink in, successfully burying himself deep inside with one smooth, hard thrust.

She moaned loudly as that hand returned to her hip, strength in it alone to keep her bouncing deep on his shaft while he came up to meet her over and over again. They moved together, filling the room with sounds of grunts and gasps of pleasure. That one hand slipped up her person to raise her up a bit, grabbing a breast and squeezing, pinching her nipple teasingly while his other arm pressed into her hip to keep her flush up against his thrusting hips. She leaned back against him, putting her hand over his left arm both to keep her pushed back against him but also to simply touch him show him she didn't shy away from touching him, even if he was missing pieces, digging nails into his arm as she came to the razors edge and finally falling over with an arch of her back and a silent cry from her lips.

Clyde felt it all, the massive seize of her body and those inner walls around him as she came. Leaning in he buried his face into that mass of red waves and nuzzled against her neck mumbling a few sweet words as he came, bursting deep within her walls.

With a turn of her head and body she leaned back and kissed him, a bit awkwardly from this angle. She held onto the shorter of his two arms, rubbing it against her lower belly softly while her hips rocked back against his own. “I love you too.”

CJ watched as one of those rare, true-blue smiles spread across his face, his large fingers grabbing a handful of her hair and yanking it back so his lips could clamp on the side of her neck, sucking at it hard and steady until a large red hickey was the result. When he pulled away he did so completely, letting her fall forward on shaking arms and roll back onto her butt to sit in front of him.

The buzzer of the washing machine went off and she grinned, getting to her feet, not caring a lick about the fluids dribbling down her legs. “Better be ready for round 2 by the time I get back, Clyde Logan.”

He slapped her ass as she passed him, giggling as she skittered away only to pause at the doorway, hiding all but her naked backside from his view. “And you might wanna call Jimmy to open up Duck Tape. I think you’re gonna be more than a few minutes late.”


	11. Chapter 11

Clyde slipped into the house as quietly as he could, the rain still coming down in a light drizzle outside. It had rained all night in various levels of strength which had cut down his customers for the night severely, enough for him to call it an early night and come home ahead of schedule. The house was dark save for a little nightlight he kept in the hall for back when Sadie stayed over during Jimmy’s visitations and she needed to make a midnight bathroom run.

Opening the bedroom door Pod lifted his head from where he lay sleeping near the bed, his tail thumping on the floor upon spotting the large man. Looking at the bed he spotted red wavy curls massed on a fluffy new pillow covered in new sheets and one of his thicker blankets. It looked like she’d made the bed then slipped in barely shifting the covers at all.

He closed the door and shucked his prosthetic and clothes into the corner, leaving only his boxers before climbing over her small person and slipping under the covers with her. He almost moaned at how soft the sheets were, feeling like a gruff old grizzly bear rolling around in silk. She made a little noise at the dip in the bed from his weight but otherwise scooted back into his warmth when he wrapped his left arm around her, pulling her close to kiss her neck a bit. CJ just mumbled in her sleep, squirming a bit and snoring softly.

This is how he fell asleep, wrapped around a woman he loved and on the most comfortable sheets he’d ever laid on. He had sweet dreams too, of her dressed in one of his t-shirts slipping into bed with a tray of eggs and bacon (slightly burnt). She beamed down at him, practically glowing as she put the tray down on the bedside table to kiss him. She’d slip onto his lap and wrap her arms around his neck to kiss him while a swollen, pregnant belly bumped up against his front. The idea made him smile, wanting to touch and rub that belly, feeling it kick while they kissed, rocking her hips to grind herself against him. He watched her slip down his person and pull down his shorts, taking him into her mouth and suck him deep inside her throat, over and over again. God it felt so good he could almost feel her actually…

Opening his eyes he looked down to see red hair moving up and down doing just that, pulling off when she felt him sit up a bit. “It was already up, thought I’d just finish the job.”

Minus the swollen belly and the tray of breakfast the image was almost exactly the same, her straddling his body wearing nothing but one of his t-shirts smiling softly at him. She looked down between his legs the back up to his eyes, “Want me to finish?”

He pulled her up until she was straddling him, lining himself up for her to sink down on his length and rock their hips together. “Rather finish this way.”

CJ grinned, leaning in to kiss him for a brief moment before pulling away to nip and nibble her way along his shoulder, leaving little suck and bite marks all over his skin, the harder and faster they moved the more bitey she became until he finally had to grab a fist full of her red hair and pull her back to look at him, watch each other as they came. This is how they spent the rest of the morning, tangled in each other’s arms and the new sheets until her alarm started to chime.

“Mmm, time for me to get up.” She grumbled, dismissing the alarm. “I made sure to add time for a shower case I got all dirty again.”

“Should I join you?” He asked, nipping her shoulder and down her left arm with kisses.

“No, your bathroom ain’t big enough for two people, much less the shower itself!” She teased, looking back at him, she could already feel something poking against the back of her thighs.

As he pulled her upper arm to his lips he paused, looking a bit more carefully. There along the side was a slice of slightly darker skin, like one gets after a burn heals. “Did you get burned here?”

CJ got real still, the smile on her face fading a bit, to her credit thought she didn’t pull away from him. “Yeah, got hit by boiling water a few years back. See that burn on my belly? That’s from the same time.”

He spotted the change, doing his best to ignore the sudden churning of nerves in his stomach. “Sounds like a story. You ever gonna tell me bout it?”

“Not today.” She told him simply. “But later when I have the time, sure.”

Using his stump he lifted her scar to his lips, kissing it softly for a long moment. She watched him, finally turning around to him and kissing him as equally softly on his lips. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

She lifted up and kissed his forehead. “For being my prince charming.”

Her alarm started to go off again, this time louder and more insistent. Grumbling she slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom leaving him to wonder about that whole little moment. Sadly those sheets they’d picked out were just too soft and he passed back out before she was done in the shower. By the time his eyes opened again she’d been long gone, a little note on her pillow letting him know Pod had been let out and fed and she’d be gone until late.

And this is how it went for the next couple weeks. Clyde worked the bar as normal, closing early whenever he could to go home and sleep next to his fiery tempest. Sometimes they made love; other times just sleeping next to each other was enough, especially if it’d been a long and rough night. By the time he’d get up she’d be gone, a note on her pillow to let him know where she was going and when she’d be back. She stopped making him breakfast in the morning, especially after she found out Pod was the one eating it instead of Clyde but she did at least fix the coffee pot timer to go off about the time he’d wake up so it’d still be hot for him.

She started to make sure her appointments were mostly in the morning so she could see him at least for a few hours before he had to go to Duck Tape and get it set up for the night, but as the work got started on the her house even that time seemed to vanish. Jimmy had offered to help with some of the labor getting everything up to snuff when he wasn’t busy at his own job or with Sadie; after Mellie had heard what the Bang brothers had done to her duffel bag Joe had offered them up to help with labor too, much to their irritation. CJ kept a close eye on them, actually very impressed with their designs to help rewire the house, in return she let them play around with her metal Tibetan bowls and all seemed to be forgiven…until she caught them using one as a spittoon that is.

Old man Mike’s house had never looked so good. New framework split up the house into a slightly different configuration that opened up the floor plan. The kitchen had been rearranged to a lot for a big island in the middle with seating on one side and sink. The stairs had been redone and the upper floor now had a new bedroom beside the old one and everything from the basement up had been rewired.

Despite all the free labor and the money she was putting in to get the place rebuilt Clyde still ended up paying for a small chunk of it under the table when CJ wasn’t looking. He felt bad not telling her about it, even if it was because he was trying to do a nice thing for the woman he loved. It got worse though when one day she went to pay for something to eat at the local burger joint and her card was declined due to lack of funds. It was the first time he’d ever seen her truly cry before, utterly breaking down in the passenger’s seat of his truck, not from embarrassment, but because despite the work she’d been bringing in, she was terrified the house work would have to stop and never get finished.

“What’m I gonna do?” She sniffled into her burger. “I’m officially flat broke and half the roof is missing! There’s no toilets or water, most of the floor is torn up, I’m worse off now than when I first started!”

“Sure Jimmy and them will keep working even if you don’t pay’em.” He told her, tossing his wrapped in the empty to-go bag. “It’ll all get done.”

“What about the rest of the workers? The ones the contractor hired. If I can’t pay him, they all go away! Jimmy and the bang brothers are only 3 people. I’m screwed!” She yelled.

He was quiet for a long minute while she quietly nibbled on her burger. “They’ve already been paid.”

Those big watery green eyes looked at him, confused. “What?”

“Said they’ve already been paid.” He repeated. “I paid ‘em.”

“With what?” She snapped. “You don’t have that kind of money, and don’t you dare tell me you took out a loan because I’ll slap you silly if you did!”

“Had some money saved up.” He told her simply, doing his best to keep it simple. “Took it out of that ‘nest egg’ thing people talk about.”

If she could have killed him with a look he’d have been and buried. “You low-down backstabbing, piece of s…” She laid into him for a good minute about how he'd lied to her and gone behind her back before he finally had enough.

“Will you just shut up?” He finally hollered back, stunning her into silence. He’d never raised his voice to her, he didn’t seem the kind to ever raise his voice, especially to a woman. “You can hollar ’n complain all the way to the moon n’back but it’s already done so just shut up and appreciate I love you ‘nough to do that for ya.”

Narrowing her eyes at him she turned in the car to look at him square. “When?”

“When what?”

“When did you pay them?” She clarified.

He was quiet for a minute. “Bout a week ago. Your cut barely covered first week’s work.”

She started to cuss again, quieter this time, almost under her breath. Turning back around she shifted low in her seat, face stuck in a big pout. “You paid them the full job after we’d only been together a week n’a half?”

“Yup.” He answered shortly, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“You gonna swing me by my bank so I can get a loan to pay you back?” She asked looking over at him.

“Nope.”

“Then take me back to the house. Don’t really wanna be round you right now and I needs to have a think.”

The words tasted sour as she spoke them but they were as honest as she could be without laying into him again. CJ was obviously pissed, not even looking his direction as he drove them back towards the his house in the failing light of the night. It was Tuesday, one of the couple night a week the Duck Tape was closed but by god he’d rather be there serving drinks to jackasses that be stuck in a house with a woman who felt she’d been betrayed. With a sigh he grumped to himself in the head 'might as well do it now, it ain't gonna get any better doing it at home.'

Using his prosthetic to balance the wheel on a straight patch of road he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and held it out to her. “Here.”

Looking at him she took it, mostly so he could put his good hand back on the wheel, opening it to find a small gold ring with an blue stone on it. Her eyes went wide and she looked at him in horror. “Clyde Logan is this what I think it is?!”

“Yup.” He kept his eyes on the road, focusing as best he could. “Belonged to my mother n’everything.”

“Out of all the times of the day you pick NOW to propose?!” She sat up, staring at him in dumb shock.

“Felt like the best time. Things couldn’t get any worse right?”

Looking from him down to the box she looked the ring over. It was a thicker gold band with little leaves etched into it with a fair sized light blue gem set deep in the metal, cased smooth so as not to catch on anything. Looking up at the road something caught her eye, an inky spot with glowing eyes in the headlights. “Clyde lookout!”

He hit the brakes, hard enough to make the tires screech and them both yank forward, only held back by strong seatbelts. When it came to a complete stop the truck was partly sideways across the two lanes, luckily the only vehicle on the road for as far as could be seen at least for now. “What was that about?!”

“Something was in the road.” She told him, unplugging free of her seatbelt and opening the door. She popped his glove box open and grabbed the red flashlight she knew he kept there before leaving his questioning yells closed up in the truck.

“Calamity!” He yelled, rolling down the window to try to see her tucked down by the front of his truck, a car came up and he waved them around, them honking at him to ‘get it off the road’.

Standing up she had something black lumping in her arms, moving to the shoulder of the road. “Pull over!”

Once out of the way he pulled the truck up and slightly onto the shoulder, letting out a few well placed cusses as he got down out of the truck. “What the hell, Calam?”

Coming around the front of the truck he saw the black the blob in her arms more clearly. It had a long slender body and tail, all jet black with closed eyes, whiskers and a mangled front left paw. It was a cat. She looked up at him with a soft expression, full of hurt and sorrow, making his heart wrenched in his chest. “I think we hit it.”

A soft little mewl came from nearby, CJ’s green eyes going wide, putting the cat up on her seat in the truck as she splashed her light over the grass and treeline just off the side of the road, listening for the sound again. The little cry came again.

“This way!” She took off towards the sound without any regard to the near darkness she was getting into or the cold starting to set in, leaving him to follow that blur of red while her tennis shoe foot falls scanned over the shoulder and roadside with her flashlight. Locking the truck behind them he took off behind her, calling her name which she promptly ignored.

He followed her down the steep hillside the little cries seeming to multiply and get louder, doing his best to keep after her until she slammed to a stop and looked up. There about 10 feet above them was a cardboard box half sealed up with duck tape. A hole had been bust and chewed into the top of it, big enough for an adult cat to get through, mewling cries coming from inside. CJ already had the flashlight plugged into her mouth and was scaling the tree after those little cries. “Are you insane?! Calam, get down from there.”

“Not without that box!” She snapped, stepping out onto one of the thicker limbs and yelled down. “Just keep an eye on it from the ground.”

He watched her like a hawk as she carefully walked out, using the branch over her head as balance, holding his breath when her foot slipped a bit. Still she kept going, finally reaching the box tangled in the branches, just reaching for it when the branches shifted and the box started falling.

“CATCH IT!!” She screamed, trying to grab at it with one hand the other on the thick branch above her, dropping the flashlight in the process. With the falling light source she couldn’t quite see what happened only hearing the sounds of running and sliding before a THUMP.

The flashlight bounced on the ground and went out, leaving her stuck in the tree while her eyes reset to the darkness, the mewling had gone silent as well. She called his name, a bit of panic setting in when he didn’t answer right away. “Clyde, are you okay?”

Then a sound, a soft groan, visibly relaxing when the flashlight kicked back on in his hand, pointing it up at her. “Will you get out of that damned tree already? Bout to give me heart palpitations.”

Chuckling a little she turned around and headed back towards the trunk, careful to take the same way down she did up. With both feet back on the ground she rushed to him, helping him up from where he’d been laying, box next to him in the wet grass. With a flash of the light into the box CJ did a quick headcount.

6 kittens. Each as black as the next though a few in the back had some tuxedo marks of white on their chests, and only bout 4-5 weeks old. Looking up at him she smiled. “They look okay.”

He made a grumble and held the flashlight, walking ahead of them to light the way back up the steep hill, letting her hold onto his prosthetic the last stretch of the hard incline. He watched her open the truck and take the adult cat and slide it into the box with it’s family, not really having anywhere else to put it, and slipping the box into the back seat. However once the box of mewling kittens was in the truck he could swear he still hear one, and nearby at that.

Turning the flashlight out toward the road he spotted it, a little black lump square in the middle of the skid marks where his tires had come to a stop. With a few steps he scooped it up in his metal hand, ignoring its squirming to get free and brought it to her. “Seven.”

Those big green eyes smiled at him, taking the little ball of fluff and putting with it’s siblings, giving a good hard listen for any straggler kittens before getting into the truck. CJ pulled the box into her arms and reached inside, petting what few she could reach while even adding a few pets to the mother. To her surprise those eyes blinked open at her, staring up at her with big green-yellow orbs.

“She’s alive!” CJ exclaimed happily, pulling her hand free of the box and peered down. “She’s hurt but alive!”

“I know a vet that’s open 24 hours.” He said, keeping his eyes on the road but taking a different exit. “They should get her fixed up.”

Looking at him she smiled, folding the broken cardboard flap over the hole in the box to keep those inside it covered and calm.

 

~_~_~_~

 

They sat in the waiting room of the little 24 vet clinic waiting from news from the doctor (much to CJ’s insistence). They’d had to call a vet in from the next town over and wait to do surgery but after he’d arrived the prognosis was mostly for the good. Turns out momma must have been someone’s housecat that got loose and knocked up because she was far to docile to be a stray. She and the kittens all looked in fair health but where she’d been hit had been crushed and needed to be amputated immediately. When told there was no fosters available to take in the kittens and her mother CJ instantly looked up and said, “We’ll take them.”

“You serious?” He asked, the idea of have cats, much less BLACK cats crawling all over his house gave him the creeps.

“Yes,” She told him flatly, sitting down to wait and staring straight ahead.

He made a face and plopped down next to her. “We already got Pod at the house, why you wanna bring in more animals?”

“Because it’s our fault she’s losing a leg here it’s the least we can do til they’re old enough to be given away to people.” She explained, looking at him. “Besides Pod loves cats. Thinks they’re the neatest thing.”

His sour expression just got worse. “I don’t want no black cats all over my damn house!”

“Then I’ll take them over to MY house and keep them there! But if they go then so do I!” She snapped, turning to glare at him with that viper look.

“Dammit Calam, yer not listenin to me.” He kicked at one of the chairs across from them, standing up to pace a little. “You don’t ever want to listen to me! Just tell me what’s happenin without even askin me bout what I want n’when it doesn’t go your way or someone tries to help you out you get all pissy. Well no more. This time I’m putting my foot down. No cats. Can’t think of no good coming from having black cats in my house.”

She just looked up at him still obviously angry. Taking in a deep breath she calmed herself down and looked up at him. “I’ll marry you.”

He was still ranting a bit about the cats and her stubborn bull-headedness when she caught him off kilter with that one. “What?”

“Said I’ll marry you.” She repeated, standing up and moving slowly to standin front of him.

Clyde made a frustrated face. “Ain’t that a peach, you telling me you’ll marry me just so you can keep some dumb animals in the house?”

“No, that ain’t the reason. Mean it’d be nice n’all, but that ain’t it.” Standing toe to toe with him she looked up his large frame and smiled just a little. “Look I know I'm pigheaded but you gotta know most that's cause of where I came from. I got where I am now by hard work and pure dumb luck. Hell I met you through pure dumb luck and I could tell you're a quiet man who only speaks when he's got something to say, not just to hear himself talk. I spent so many years having to sit down and just smile pretty that it's nice to be round a man who says just what he needs to and lets me do the rest of the talking if I want. You ain't mean, you a hard workin man, you let me be the boss of my own life stead of trying to take it over take everything for yourself and most of all you're probably the kindest, sweetest man I've ever met who ain't already snatched up. I already knew what my answer was before you even asked me. Figured I’d make you wait til we got home to tell you since I was mad at having the wool pulled over my eyes but guess this is good a time as any. Mean…things can’t get any worse, can they?”

He picked up on the cruel irony of her words, the sides of his lips starting to twitch no matter how much he wanted to keep a straight face. She pulled the little box out of her pocket where she’d stashed it and popped it open, sliding the ring onto her left ring finger where it fit nice and snug, him watching the whole thing as the memory burned itself into his mind. “Alright then, you can keep the cats.”

With a small giggle she wrapped her arms around his middle, snuggling into his chest, his own doing the same in kind. They stayed like that til the doc came out to let them know everything went well and they could finally go home.


	12. Chapter 12

Clyde woke up to a heavy weight lying on his chest. At first it was nice, probably CJ who’d slipped in bed once more to wake him up all sweet-like as she’d done periodically in the past. The odd thing was that the weight was vibrating, a steady low thrum and something long and fuzzy like a feather duster kept moving back and forth over his lower abdomen almost like a windshield wiper.

Cracking an eye open yellow-green orbs stared down into dark brown ones, a blob of black cat laying square on his chest. Upon seeing his eyes open the cat stretched, reaching out to paw at his chin, tapping it lightly.

“Calam!” He yelled out into the house, hoping she was still home. “This damn cat’s layin’ on me again!”

“She likes you, Clyde, get over it.” That beautiful sing-song voice called back, probably from the kitchen. “Just sit up, she’ll move.”

“N’ claw my face off while she’s at it.” He grumbled, slowly and awkwardly lifting up into a seated position. The cat happily moved, shifting to stand on the puddle of sheets in his lap and continue to stare at him. It had been about a week since the whole cat thing went down and the mother cat was healing up nicely. There was a square patch on its left side where the doctor had had to shave it for do surgery, but the hair was quickly regrowing and the stitches were all but healed. The problem was that ever since they’d brought her and her kittens back to his house, the momma cat had all but attached herself to Clyde. She followed him all over the house, meowing when she couldn’t find him or making a fuss if he tried to lock her out of the bedroom. CJ thought it was cute, Clyde thought it was annoying. At least she seemed to be trained to paw at the door when she needed to go out, Pod usually going with to keep an eye on her while checking over his territory in the backyard.

Pushing her off the bed he got up, shuffling his way out of the bathroom and into the rest of the house where CJ stood in the kitchen making a cup of coffee for him, talking to someone on a video call on her tablet she used for work which was perched on a little kick stand on the table so she could talk while puttering about. From the way she was talking it sounded like a family call but he tuned it out, still too foggy brained to care much.

CJ turned at his approach, giving him a quick look over to make sure he was semi-dressed before letting him in the kitchen. “My sisters are on a conference call with me on the table. You’ve been warned.”

“It that the guy?” A loud voice came, a woman with red hair asked getting super close to her camera. “I can’t see him.”

“Getting closer to your camera won’t help you see what’s off screen you twit.” Another voice chimed, it sounding almost identitcal to the first.

Clyde hesitated, looking down at himself. He was dressed in cut-off shorts and t-shirt but had a serious case of bed head having just gotten up. Looking over he debated which he wanted more, to be dressed to meet people or coffee. Coffee won out.

CJ was more than happy to let him wrap himself around her and kiss that little sweet spot on her neck that made her giggle before stepping out of the way for him to get to the kitchen table, putting the cat rubbing against his large feet. As he’d passed he nodded to the two women watching them, both having similar faces and hair color: the one on the left had her hair up in a loose bun and was wearing a maroon sweater while the one on the right had hers down loose and was wearing a green tank top , glasses, with giant striped earrings. From where he sat he was out of camera view but could still hear everything they said.

“God damn he’s a big!” Said the one on the left, CJ noting a little hint of a smile on Clyde’s lips behind his coffee cup. “Might give my David a run for his money on biggest husband. You said he was ex-military.”

“Yes, Lynn. He was a marine. Lost a hand to a road-side mine on his last day of deployment.” CJ explained, leaning against the stove while sipping her coffee while talking to the screen.

“Well that’s some shitty luck.” Said the other woman. “But a marine, huh? And owns his own business and house? Definitely an improvement over the last one there.”

“You’re staying at his place right? Till your house is finished? You sleeping with him?” Clyde did his best not to laugh. “Is he big?”

“Dammit Aubrey he’s sitting just behind the camera! He can hear you!” CJ exclaimed, turning a lovely shade of red.

“What do we care, we’re both already married and have kids a piece. Besides, any man that large _better_ be big or what’s the point?” Aubrey just replied flatly. “And your excessive blushing answers my question.”

“Agreed, although we do reserve the rights to details at a later date.” The other, Lynn, answered.

“Oh that reminds me, Kevin’s coming home for a bit of leave in the next couple weeks; finally home for a whole month this time!” Said Aubrey. “Oh, I have a great idea! Why don’t we come up to West Virginia and see your new house!”

CJ all but spit out her coffee. “Bree the house isn’t even finished yet! You’d be wasting a trip.”

“No I agree with Bree.” Added Lynn, “David has some time off and frequent flyer miles saved, we should both come. See your new house, meet this new man of yours, it’ll be great! When’s Kevin shipping home?”

“2-3 weeks.” Bree chimed happily. “Probably closer to 3. Definitely for the fourth of July.”

“Then it’s settled, we’ll bring the cavalry, stay at your place, meet this man of yours, and have a great visit.” The other sister said. “See you in 3 weeks!”

The video conference ended abruptly, CJ just left standing there in stunned silence, coffee cup in hand. Looking up at Clyde, who just sat there finishing up his cup, she growled. “I hate it when they do that!”

“Welcome to my world.” He grumbled into his mug softly so she couldn’t make out his words. “We ever gonna get rid of this cat?”

She made a face a him, clicking her tongue to get the cat to come to her for a scratch behind the ears. “We can take the kittens by the farm store in a few more weeks. They’re just now eating solid food.”

“Kittens are fine, it’s THAT one I’m talkin’ bout.” He grumped, leaning over to look at the 3 legged cat purring for attention. “She’s buggin me.”

“She _likes_ you, Clyde. Cat’s always have a favorite person.” CJ told him sweetly. As soon as she stopped petting the cat meowed and went back to rubbing against his hairy legs.

“That’s cause she can sense the family curse.” Clyde said matter-of-factly, finally taking a swig of his black coffee. “Bein’ a black cat in all.”

“More like she feels a kinship with you cause you’re both a limb down.” She leaned on one arm, fingers tangled in her hair. “Just enjoy being loved on a little. At least she doesn’t hate you. Sides, black cats are considered good luck in most countries, not bad. Maybe havin’ her around will cancel out the curse a bit. After all, she did get me to agree to marry you.”

“You said you was gonna marry me anyway.” He sat there, letting the coffee help his brain think for a long minute. “Guessing you already picked her out a name like you did the kittens?”

She grinned at him softly. “Mmhm. I wanna call her Trooper.”

Clyde just gave her a look, then down at the cat that was lumping against his leg and purring. “Guess that’ll work. Either that or ‘Gimpy’.”

CJ just rolled those green eyes at her before her phone started to go off again. This time it was the contractor, letting her know everything was going according to schedule and was asking for paint colors for the walls in various rooms. Clyde just sat there and drank his coffee while she flittered away over the phone, finally hanging up with a smile. She’d finally gotten over the fact that he’d paid for the house to be finished behind her back, at least to the point of not bringing it up again, and had since then gone full force into getting it styled and set up like she wanted it, right down to the light yellow color walls in the kitchen and subway tiles in the bathroom.

Looking down she fidgeted with the ring on her finger, twisting it around as she thought and starting to bite her lip. He stood there and watched her, drinking on his coffee. They hadn’t told anyone about their engagement yet, not really wanting people split between ‘congratulations’, ‘I-told-you-so’s’, and ‘ain’t it a bit soon’. As it was she took the ring off when doing her work and just made sure to wear it only when they were alone. It filled him with pride to see her wearing his momma’s ring, it finally making sense why she’d willed it to him instead of Jimmy or Mellie: both of them not really the type to settle down for the long stretch. He watched her sigh and pick up her tablet again with a glare, ignoring him when he got up to get another cup of coffee. “Well at least they’re coming for a big holiday. The 4th of July carnival should keep them somewhat busy. You didn’t mind them talking about you like that did you?”

“Women talk bout men whether we like it or not. Least it’s your sisters and not strangers.”

CJ got up, turning and crossing the small space between them to slip her arms around his middle. She really did love to touch him; hold his hand or arm (either arm), hug and kiss him, and that was just the ‘g’ rated things. She pulled his face down to hers, kissing him until his mind started to get full of nice dirty thoughts. “I need you to do me a favor.”

“Sure, what?” He asked, holding that soft green gaze.

“How fast can my house be put back together?” She asked, biting her lower lip.

Clyde put his coffee cup down, slightly confused. “I dunno, month’n a half depending on if the good weather holds out, why?”

“I’m gonna need it finished before my sisters. At least livable anyway.” She told him, holding his gaze.

He chuckled, smiling at her joke. “Yeah right. Funny.”

She just looked at him, his smile slowly fading, arms still around his waist.

“Yer shittin’ me.” He told her, shaking his head of black. “There ain’t no way that house’ll be done and livable in 3 weeks!”

“Look my sisters are gonna be bring the cavalry, that means the, their husbands AND all their kids. If that house ain’t finished enough by the time they get here, I’m screwed.” She explained, running her hands up to wrap around his neck, giving him a soft, pitiful look. “Please Clyde?”

“No, Calam. That means overtime and we can’t afford it. I can’t afford it!” He snapped trying to pull up and break away from those fingers that were tangling in his hair. She stepped a bit closer, rubbing her body against his own and could feel his inner resolve starting to crumble, especially when she pushed that knee of hers up between his legs. She had him almost unwound when she start nipping at his collar bone, those hands of hers starting to wander down his front and under his shirt, one going north the other going farther and farther south… “God dammit woman, fine I’ll talk to the damn contractor!”

Those hands stilled and she pulled away to look at him a little victorious smile on her lips. Standing on her tippy toes she kissed him sweetly before pulling away. “Thank you.”

“You owe me big for this.” Clyde grumbled while her hand took his and started pulling him back towards the bedroom.

“I know.” She told him with a little wink. “Better pay me bill then, shouldn’t I?”

~_~_~_~_~_~

Clyde all but slammed the beer down in front of Earl, his face stuck in a foul mood since he’d got to work, the cause sitting down at the other end of the bar staring at her phone like she was waiting on a call.

“You seem in a right mood today.” Earl teased, looking down the bar at the red head in jeans, a green turtleneck and one of his long sleeved flannel shirts. “She cut you off or something?”

Clyde just sighed, grabbing a glass from above his head and pouring himself a shot of whiskey and knocking it back. “Nope, that ain’t it.”

“Then what’s put a bee in your bonnet?” The old man took a swig of his beer.

Clyde looked down at the empty glass in his hand, contemplating another shot. “Her family’s comin’ in from Texas…ALL the family.”

“How man siblings she have again?” Earl asked.

“Pair of twin sisters and a brother, all older by at least 5 years.” He explained, all but talking himself into another shot. He chucked it back as hard as the first one. “And their spouses AND kids.”

“They know you’re getting hitched yet?” This caught Clyde’s attention, especially since neither of them had told anyone yet. When he gave the old man a look Earl just chuckled. “My cousin’s a tech at the 24 hour vet clinic. She told me everything.”

As much as another shot sounded pretty good right now the chime of her phone ringing pulled his attention away from the bottle, watching her hastily pick up and start talking to the person on the phone. “No, they don’t. Nobody does.”

Earl just chuckled. “You’re gonna need a few more shots my friend.”

To his credit, Clyde put the bottle up. “Probably, but I got customers.”

He moved around to some of his other customers, making sure the waitress he’d recently hired was actually doing her job instead of off on her phone somewhere. As he came back he could hear CJ arguing about something on the phone.

“Ernie, please calm down. It’s not that you weren’t invited, it just didn’t come up you’d want to come.” He watched her listen to the other voice on the phone, rubbing her temples with annoyance. “I understand that but there’s only a limited amount of space, even if I put most of the kids in living room or basement. Have you not been listening to me? Ernie!”

In his pity he slipped up across from her, making her look up clearly annoyed but not with him. “You want something?”

“Ginger ale? He’s driving me to a stomach ache.” She told him, glaring at the phone. “Yes, I’m talking about you ya stubborn jackass! And don’t you dare bring momma into this!”

When the talking didn’t seem to stop she hung up on him. Putting the phone down and letting it start to buzz as her brother’s name came on the screen. Taking the ginger ale from Clyde she took a few sips, watching it vibrate across the bar a bit until it finally went silent for a full 30 seconds then promptly picked it up again. “Ready to calm down and talk civil or do I gotta reach through this phone and throttle you?”

By the end of the conversation she was smiling, but it was an almost forced smile. Looking up at him she ran her long fingers through her hair. “Well THAT could have gone better. Apparently now my brother, his pregnant wife and their little girl are coming too.”

“Guess we’d better tell them about it,” Clyde suggested, noting the familiar pair of siblings coming through the front door. “Might need their help wrangling everybody.”

With a nod she finished off her ginger ale and slipped off the bar stool to give Mellie a warm hug and pulled her aside to let her know about the ‘cavalry’ coming in. First a woman flings herself into his life, then her house needs fixing, plus kittens to raise, a cat that won’t leave him alone, and now a hoard of people coming to visit. And not just any people, _family,_ each ready to pick him over with a fine tooth comb.

God give him strength.


	13. Chapter 13

If there had ever been a tornado come through his house its name was Calamity Jane Turner. The Fourth of July festival had been marked on the calendar, appointments had been rearranged to give her time to make sure everything was on schedule and with help from Mellie she hadn’t blown up in someone’s face. Yet.

CJ spent a lot of her time on the phone with her sisters, taking inventory of all the people and items they’d be bringing and what all needed to be rented, Mellie was in charge of the home front, making sure the house build was staying on target and no one was trying to cut corners (like the Bang brother’s ‘forgetting’ to grout the tiles in the basement half bath that’d been put in). As it turned out when CJ said the cavalry was coming, that meant the whole family, literally. Her sisters, their husbands, Ernie and his wife were flying in from LA, all of them would be taking over her house for a little over a week.

On the flips side of that her house was coming along nicely. When she wasn’t in a conference call with her siblings she was picking out some extra furniture she needed. By the time it came down to crunch time she was damn near pulling all nighters staying so busy setting up the house, finding the kittens good homes and trying to run her business. There’d been a couple nights he’d come home to find her passed out on the sofa covered in papers and paint swatches with Trooper sleeping curled up next to her. He’d just scooped her up as best he could and tucked her in bed, more than happy to let her wrap herself around her favorite comfort blanket: him.

As it was the house was finished ahead of schedule, giving her and Clyde enough time to go grocery shopping with a list to feed an army while Jimmy and Bang brothers did some fine tuning on the porch and shed, even getting a fire pit dug. It turned out beautiful with linoleum floors through out and new carpets in the bedrooms, a bigger fridge and new island in the kitchen, there were now 2 bedrooms upstairs instead of one, the basement was redone as a rec room type space and the study on the first floor had been transformed into a master bedroom worthy of a magazine.

The pressure was starting to get to her though as that temper of hers seemed to be getting shorter and shorter. She’d all but spit when she couldn’t find something while unpacking boxes, swearing and cussing the furniture rental company had to call and tell her one of her items had been damaged and they’d be delayed getting there until it could be replaced, and the only thing that could get her calmed down was Clyde. She’d come home and immediately wrap her arms around him and cry just because of the smallest thing, and to his great credit he’d just hold her or scoop her into his lap and let her slobber all over his shirts before pulling him off somewhere to have sex, whether it be his house, hers, or even his office at the bar. He had no problem being her stress relief in that respect.

“So let me get this straight.” Mellie asked one afternoon, all three siblings sitting in her newly finished kitchen drinking beer while waiting for her own kin to show up in the next hour or so. “How many siblings do you have again? It feels like the number keeps changing.”

“I have 3 siblings, all older than me: Marilyn and Aubrey are twins and the oldest (over me by 7 years) and Ernie is the only boy (over me by 5 years).” She explained.

“And they’re all married and have kids already?” Jimmy asked, looking a bit nervous.

“Yup. See Lynn met her husband David while on a school trip to Ireland back in high school. They stayed in contact and got married when she was just 20. David is Irish, works in communications and is a former green beret. They have 6 kids: twin teenage boys, a teenage girl, twin girls, and then another boy.

“Bree’s husband is Kevin. They met at a marksman’s championship about 3 years ago and just started a family with a pair of fraternal twins, a boy and girl. Bree is a stay at home mom at their ranch and Kevin is an engineer with the Army.”

“A green beret AND an army man?” Mellie’s eyes bugged a bit. “Y’all seem to have a thing for military boys. I’m guessing you’re brother is, what, a navy seal?”

CJ chuckled. “He wishes. Didn’t pass the physical on the count of a bad back from falling out of a tree when we were kids. Nowadays he’s an EMT in Los Angeles; they moved there when his wife Bertie got a job as a make-up artist.”

This caught Mellie’s interest right away. “Is she good, what kind of make-up work does she do?”

“Horror make-up mostly, she was on that show on the scifi channel in the first couple seasons, didn’t make it very far though, but it was enough to get her the job in LA. She’s on break right now though, being 7 months pregnant as well as having a 3 year old girl everyone calls Sugar B.” CJ explained, ginger ale already half finished. All this stress had her stomach in knots!

Clyde, who had been silent through all of this just leaned against the wall and drank his beer, not sure what to make of such a passle of people. That was 15 people he’d never met before all coming into this house while he walked around with a target on his back, if it weren’t for those years in the military of learning how to be calm under pressure he’d be running for the hills.

A car horn suddenly began to blare and Pod jumped to attention, beating them all to the door to alert the human’s of incoming strangers. CJ was the first one out the door, Clyde and his siblings hanging back on the front porch while she hopped down the steps and waved excitedly as the caravan of cars came up the dirt drive. As soon as people began to bail out it was like a sea of red curly hair. Her sisters had the red hair just like CJ did, although one seemed to be lighter in color than the other and one wearing glasses where the other did not. The only ones who seemed honestly out of place were the husbands, each as tall as Clyde if not taller and military built, Ernie on the other hand was shorter than his sisters by a good inch, shaved bald and when not helping his very pregnant wife out of the car or his little girl out of her carseat, scanning over the people on the porch, narrowing his eyes in suspicion when he spotted Clyde looming in the shadows.

Introductions were met, kids and parents were told where to set up camp and Pod kept the younger kids happy playing out in the yard while sisters (whether by blood, marriage or soon-to-be marriage) convened in the kitchen to catch up, the men given strict orders to get the grill Joe had loaned them started and cook up the burgers and hot dogs that had been prepped.

“So before we get down to business we need the 411 on this man of yours.” Lynn insisted, leaning in on the kitchen table.

“From what you’ve told us of him already he definitely sounds good, but that’s how it went with the LAST one you talked about.” Bree added, pushing her glasses up further on her face. “And Mellie, by all means please add in whatever you’d like. Good or bad, we’d appreciate the input from all sources.”

“Yes, please. As his sister you are more than welcome to tell us more details to Clyde’s credit than anyone else.” Bertie nodded. “So far he seems like a very quiet man. How did he loose his arm?”

The girls began their chatter, Clyde making himself useful by grabbing the trays of meats and bringing them out without having to be asked. He figured keep moving and it’d give people less chance to ask him awkward questions, the kids already giving him stares when they saw his prosthetic. He’d decided to wear it for the meeting on account of it looking like a more normal hand so as not to make the little ones uncomfortable.

As he came in the house he spotted a little girl with bright red hair, looking at him. She wiggled free of CJ’s grip and toddled her way to him, tripping on her own feet as she reached his leg. Without a word he stopped, looking down at those big eyes and with a soft smile picked her up with practiced ease, propped her on his left hip best he could and grabbed a tray of hot dogs heading outside.

Every woman at the table stopped and watched him, Lynn even standing up to see him through the back porch and beyond. They watched him come back in, little girl still on his hip, grab another tray and go back out, moving like it was the most natural thing to hold onto that little girl. Bertie was the first to speak. “Well I’m impressed. Sugar B doesn’t always like people but she seems to think he’s alright.”

“A definite improvement on his first impression.” Lynn agreed. “He’s cute but too quiet for my taste. Does he ever speak?”

“You could always ask him something and see for yourself.” CJ told her flatly, watching Clyde with the little girl. He’d since put her down to explore but she kept coming back to him, finally taking his prosthetic fingers and pulling him along to point things out to him the way 3 year olds do. After a while the kids seemed to notice him, specifically his missing hand and started badgering him as kids do. To his credit he didn’t get angry or upset, Jimmy helping out a bit by coming to his rescue and letting them know the food was done but otherwise he handled himself very well. By the time the meal had come to a close, the only one who hadn’t talked to him was Ernie who sat as far away from Clyde as possible, brooding.

“What’s _his_ problem?” Mellie asked, chomping into a bite of potato salad. “He’s been glaring daggers at Clyde all night.”

“That’s just his way.” Bertie replied, waving the statement off. “He’s the brother, and thinks it’s his job to be protective, especially of Calamity since she’s on her own again.”

The twin’s eyes looked up from their plates, Lynn making sure CJ was away helping serve food before talking low. “Ernie was the one who helped Calamity bail out of her last marriage and move back in with our parents. Even though technically she’s older than him, Ernie’s always been very protective of her.”

“No job, no car, no money. All she had to her name was a cheating husband and mountain of debts.” Bree stabbed at a bit of her salad with a violent force. “Lived up to her name in that respect. Her first marriage really was a calamity.”

“Using my full name huh?” CJ asked, approaching the table of women. “Should I be worried?”

“Nonsense!” Lynn chided. “In fact, we’ve been waiting for the perfect time to bring your a house warming gift in!”

“Oh Lynn, please don’t start handing down your throw pillows to me again…” She whined but Lynn was already busy calling her husband over and giving the commands.

“All hands on deck! Let’s unload the trailer!” Lynn called outside to the makeshift football game that had broken out.  

“Clyde, would you and Bertie be nice enough to keep the little ones out from underfoot please? The items is rather large and very heavy.” Bree asked sweetly. Clyde, who’d been sitting out by the fire pit with Sugar B and letting her play patty-cake with his prosthetic hand, turned from watching all the other boys play football in a large stretch of grass and gave her a soft nod. Picking up the little girl who giggled they went through into the house, the rest heading around the house to unload a large box trailer that’d been towed behind one of the rental vehicles. They stood at one of the new large windows, watching the rest of them swarm the trailer and begin to unload its contents which consisted of an old standing piano.

“Have you ever heard Calamity sing before?” Bertie asked, coming up to stand next to Clyde, looking up at him with a soft smile.

“Yeah.” He said. “Won a karaoke contest last month singing Elvis Presley.”

“The twins sing too, even Ernie a little though he’s more into guitar. They can all play piano but CJ was by far the better at it than all of them.” Bertie smiled down at her swollen belly. “I can’t sing or play but I love to dance. Do you like music?”

Looking over to the shorter woman he gave her a soft little smile. “I like it when _she_ sings.”

Bertie chuckled, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a familiar little gold and blue ring, handing it to him. “Next time, make sure she puts it in her pocket when she washes her hands and not on top of the microwave, ok?”

His face paled a little but at her teasing smile and a wink he took it from her, stashing it in his pocket, knowing she wouldn’t say anything.

 “I have to tell you Clyde, Ernie has been on edge for the past few weeks about meet you. He even went as far as to call in a favor and have you looked into to see what kind of man you are.” She told him softly. “But I don’t think he has anything to worry about. You seem to have your head screwed on straight, though I would like to give you a little advice if you don’t mind.”

He just looked down at her. “Yes ma’am?”

“Calamity puts on a pretty good front. She acts like her sisters: big, loud, bossy and on top of everything but she didn’t used to be like that. Her first husband…he really hurt her in some ways. Ways only a partner can mend. From what I’ve seen she’s gotten much better over the past couple years and I can tell she’s very happy here with you and your family, but still, if you can avoid it, don’t get angry with her too much. It’ll set her back more than you could possibly know.”

Making a face he spotted CJ tearing up a little as her brother’s in law wheeled the piano down the ramp and onto the small path towards the porch where the teenagers and Jimmy were setting up a makeshift ramp. In the back of his mind he thought of the burn on her arm and how sometimes he’d seen her jump a little at loud noises or when he’d snapped at her in the truck. “He never hit her did he?”

“No, but he was one of those who looks for soft-hearted people to take care of them. A meal ticket, to keep them afloat while someone else does all the swimming. She’s always been adamant he never touched her but if you talk down to a person long enough, put enough worries, responsibilities, problems, and blame on someone’s shoulders, all under the guise that you’ll help and that you love them…it can break just about anybody down.” Her tone turned cold at the end, still staring out the window. Blinking away the expression she reached over and touched his upper arm, just above his prosthetic. “So don’t drop her, ok? She’s still pretty fragile.”

Clyde just looked down at her, nodding. “You have my word, ma’am.”

 It took all the men, Clyde included, to push that piano up a little makeshift ramp to the porch and into the living room. With a soft look she turned to Clyde. “It’s our grandmother’s piano.”

“Figured since you had a house now, might as well bring it to you finally.” Lynn smiled. “Gave me my dining room back anyway, especially since my kids showed no interest in learning to play it!”

“Guitar is where it’s at mom.” Said her oldest son, Steven, his blue haired head finally looking up long enough from his phone to speak.

“And I play Bass.” His green-headed twin added.

“Well as long as you keep the music alive, I guess it’s ok.” David smiled his Irish accent hinting in his tone as he hugged his wife.

Clyde’s checked the time and tapped CJ on the shoulder, both of them slipping into the kitchen while Lynn bossed everyone around about which wall it should go against. “I need to go. Gotta open the bar.”

CJ pulled him around over by the pantry, out of the major sight lines and kissed him, holding his face softly. “I love you. I know being around all this craziness has thrown you way off.”

“It’s fine, Calam. They’re you’re family. Gotta get used to them eventually.” He smiled down at her, leaning in for another quick kiss before pulling the ring out of his pocket. “Found this on top of the microwave. Better keep an eye on it.”

“You really are my prince charming.” She blushed and slipped it into her pocket, letting her arms wrap around him and kiss him for all he was worth.

“Mom! Aunt CJ’s making out in the hall with big moody guy with one arm!” Lynn’s oldest girl hollered, making the pair hastily pull apart while the hallway hastily filled with various pairs of spying eyes. Keeping his head down Clyde passed through the crowd towards the door, trying to hide the red tips of his ears at being caught like a school kid.

CJ just stood there, not really wanting to look at anyone despite the whoops and hollers at being caught red handed and red faced. Jimmy and Mellie didn’t stay much long after that, leaving her to entertain the troops.

“So where’d your boyfriend end up slinking off to?” Ernie asked, coming down the stairs from putting Sugar B to bed.

“He had to go open the bar for the night.” She told him, sitting on the couch with Bertie and Bree.

“He owns a bar?” Lynn asked, perched on her husband’s lap. “When was the last time we went to a bar together?”

“Probably not since Luka was born and that was over 4 years ago.” David replied, smiling at his wife.

“Perhaps we should go check it out.” Bree suggested. “See him in his natural habitat.”

Bertie smiled. “I can stay and keep an eye on the kids.”

CJ began to panic. “No, no, no! You're not going up to the bar to ‘observe’ him. He ain't some wild animal on safari!”

“Why not?” Ernie asked. “It’s ain't a strip club is it?”

“No, it’s just a bar and grill but…”

“Then it’s settled.” Lynn said with a nod. “Bertie will stay here and man the fort, while the cavalry goes to the bar!”

The group cheered in victory, raising their drinks. CJ tried to pull her phone out to text Clyde, let him know about them coming when something else came out with it and bounced off the sofa cushion and onto the edge of the coffee table for all to see.

“Calamity,” Ernie asked, snatching up the ring before she could grab it. “What is this?”

The red head just smiled nervously. “Um…”

“Saddle up! Tie up the prisoner!” Bree demanded, the group rose to attention in mass, CJ being grabbed and thrown over Kevin’s shoulder. “We ride! And we give no quarter!”

Shit. This wasn’t some safari expedition anymore…Clyde Logan was in for a lynching.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this idea while I was trying to go to bed last night. It held me so hard I was almost late for work. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
> 
> Comments are appreciated!

Something was going on, he could tell. Clyde had gotten the bar open as normal and had a fairly decent crowd. Most were locals, but he had a fair bit of unfamiliar faces as well what with the carnival being set up and various performers and traveling workers in town. At the beginning of the night everything seemed to be going alright: the regulars were watered, his waitress had only messed up on one order so far and he’d only had one argument break out about a pool game. So in short, a nice, easy night.

Then Mellie’s phone rang. He recognized the tune, his dark eyes flicking up to watch her answer it and begin talking. She went very still for a second and touched Jimmy’s arm saying something to him before they both hastily went outside and were gone for several minutes.

Maybe Joe had gotten himself arrested for blowing something up again and needed Mellie and Jimmy to bail him out. But that didn’t make sense, they would have told him what was going on. The hairs on the back of his neck were starting to make him itch all over with nerves just like his last day of deployment before they’d been hit by that roadside mine.

The main door flew open with a bang loud enough to know someone had kicked it, the whole building going eerily silent.

“CLYDE!!!!” His sister hollered. He knew that voice. The last time she’d used that voice on him was when him and Jimmy had swapped her hair dye out and she had green hair for a week. She came marching in and straight up to the bar, slamming her hands down while her eyes swore she’d be cutting his balls of before the night was over. “You have some SERIOUS explaining to do!”

Jimmy came in a little after her, his face a pissed off solemn while a troop of red haired women and their very tall husbands came after, CJ at the rear, sandwiched between her brother in laws and, wait…why was she tied up in rope?

“What’s goin’ on here?” He asked, bracing his hand of the counter, mostly irritated that his fiancé was tied up.

Lynn stepped forward, Mellie stepping out of the way for her to put something down on the bar in front of him. As she pulled away there sat his mother’s ring shining innocently in the florescent light and he let out a small swear. “Clyde Logan, you are being charged with the crime of engaging yourself to our youngest sister, Calamity Turner, without the direct consent of the Turner clan and its reigning head of the family.”

He just looked at her and each one of them (his siblings included), finally resting on CJ who looked as irritated as he was. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“It’s a family thing, just go with it.” CJ answered before her sister could butt in.

“Please refrain from any and all contact with the prisoner at this time and direct all answers to me.” Lynn stepped between their line of sight, looking over her shoulder. “Gag her.”

“Lynn you b-mph!” A bandana was shoved her mouth, leaving her glaring and extremely pissed. She looked up at David, the one who’d gagged her and he muttered a soft ‘sorry.’

“Please answer the question, Mr. Logan.” Lynn insisted. “Did you, or did you not offer marriage to our sister without telling anyone or asking for permission?”

He made a sour face, very much not enjoying being put on the spot like this in front of God and everyone in his own bar. “Yes, I did.”

“And did she consent?” Bree chimed in, crossing her arms over her chest with a sniff.

His tone was flat. “Yes, she did.”

“We’re afraid this is not acceptable.” Lynn put her hands behind her back and gave him a firm look. She reminded him of his old drill sergeant in that pose. “It is our family tradition that when a member of the family who has been married at least once prior, and said marriage has ended in divorce, should they attempt to remarry the family must come together in order to attain if their newly chosen spouse is fit for them or not. This is done primarily by the head of the family which in this case is our mother, but since she is not here this will fall to popular vote.

“If we agree then your marriage will come with our blessing and you’ll be welcome into the Turner clan with open arms but if you don’t then we must essentially banish you from ever having any contact with our sister for the rest of your natural lives. Sound good?”

Clyde just blinked at the red head standing in front of him. “Is this normal for your family?”

“We had to start doing this after our PawPaw died with 4 ex-wives under his belt. Worked out so far.” Bree nodded. “Just think of it this way: if you had a little girl who got married and a shit stain of a man cheated on her, what would you do?”

“Kill ‘em.” He answered without a lick of hesitation.

“Exactly. So if she wanted to get married again, don’t you think it’d make sense to run the guy by you at least once before they got married?”

Clyde squared his jaw and thought for a minute. “Fair enough point. So what’d I gotta do to marry Calam?”

“Mostly we just see weigh and measure you to see if you’ve been found wanting.” Lynn answered, slipping onto the stool in front of him. “We’ve already pulled you up in the system: your criminal record, military career, even your tax returns for the last 5 years. And in respect to you being a rather quiet and private man we talked to your family to find out a little more about your character.”

That made him a little nervous but he didn’t say anything, feeling like Lynn was heading towards a point. This family of hers really didn’t mess around.

“Due to the hasty manner of your engagement, we find ourselves split on whether we should allow this marriage to happen or not. Ernie has been the biggest voice against you and as such as demanded a trial by combat.” Lynn explained.

 “Fine, I’ll meet you outside just a second.” Clyde snapped, this bald brother of hers had really been pushing his buttons all day with the death glares and a good fight would really make up for all this ‘trial’ business.

“Hold on Clyde,” Bree said making a “T” with her hands. “It’s not that kind of fight.”

“If the family can’t come to a unanimous agreement then the stick in the mud, Ernie in this case, may call for a ‘trial by combat’.” Lynn explained. “It’s not an actual fight, but a battle in a chosen arena. If Ernie wins, the family will vote with him, if you win, he shuts up and the goes with what the rest of us vote.”

“Who gets to pick how this goes?” Jimmy asked.

 “The one who has the most to lose.” Lynn nodded to her husband, David hastily setting CJ loose. “Just remember, Calamity, it must be something they can both hold their weight in. We don’t need to turn this into a fight right out of Game of Thrones.”

Without a word CJ slipped around the long wooden bar, pulling out a bottle full of whiskey. “The weapon is this! Loser submits to the family ruling and also pays the tab for everyone in the bar!”

And so it was set: Clyde on one side of a table, Ernie on the other with Mellie pouring the shots for them both. They’d match shot for shot until one either threw up, fell off his seat or called it quits. By now the whole bar had began to gather around them some even making wagers on who’d win while others filmed the whole thing. They started off pretty steady: 3, 4, 5 shots in and both seemed to still be in control of themselves and staring each other down in order to psyche the other out. By shot 8 Ernie was beginning to throw slurs and smack down comments around, picking at Clyde on anything from how crappy his bar looked, to his prosthetic looking like it was made by Halloween prop factory.

“Your daughter seemed to like it just fine.” Was all Clyde said in response, finishing off another shot and flipping his glass over on the table to signal he was done.

Ernie nearly rose out of his seat to throw a punch but David and Kevin kept him down, reminding him of the rules. 3 more shots and both were starting to wobble, Ernie’s words more slur than not while Clyde remained silent, CJ’s hand on his shoulder like a grounding rod to keep him focused.

They were up to 23 shots when Ernie’s hand began to shake as he lifted the shot to his lips, almost dropping the glass. Clyde too was slower, keeping his eyes focused on Ernie so he wouldn’t see double as his slung back the shot and flipped the glass again, another shot being poured.

“I ain’t gunna let ew win…” Ernie slurred, wobbling in his seat while he took his shot, nearly missing his mouth. “Ain’t no way um gunna let her marry some big grizzly bear man like ew…”

Clyde just took his medicine and waited. Any time now…

“Cuz thass all ya are…a big…dumb…grissly bear man…” Ernie shakily lifted the shot glass to his lips, slamming the glass down hard enough it cracked.

The big man leaned forward, putting his arms on the table. “I may be a big, dumb grizzly bear…” He took his shot. “But like hell am I paying THIS big a tab!”

Ernie just threw his head back and laughed…then promptly fell over and passed out.

The crowd cheered, Jimmy raised his brother’s fake arm up into the air in victory while his favorite red head wrapped herself around his neck and kissed his cheek. Getting to her feet, Lynn waved her arms to get the crowd to settle down.

“Clyde Logan and Calamity Turner,” Lynn yelled loudly for all to hear. “The family has decided…to bless this engagement.”

The bar erupted with whoops and hollars of excitement. Clyde pulled his woman down into his lap and kissed her, wrapping themselves in each other’s arms for God and everyone to see. Letting her stand up he pushed himself out of the chair, almost missing a step as CJ put his arm around her small frame and helped cart him off into the back where his office was.

She closed the door behind them, enjoying the bliss of the sudden quiet while she got Clyde’s big frame to his desk chair and grabbed him a trash can, towel and bottle of water from the little mini-fridge he had in the corner. “Here, drink this.”

“Ugh, no more drinks, please.” He whined like a 5 year old, his head rolling from side to side all but splayed out in his chair.

“Come on, it’ll keep you from getting a hangover.” She insisted, unscrewing the cap. “Clyde, drink!”

“I don’t wanna!” He whined, looking at her…or the two of her standing there. “You have a twin too?”

Reaching up she pushed the bottle to his lips, the cold water seeming to wake him up a bit. It was enough of a shock for him to start to heave, CJ barely making it with the trash can before he spewed up everything he could, leaving her to rub his back softly. “There, there, it’ll be okay.”

“I swear your family is trying to kill me.” He groaned into the trash can, heaving again.

“I really am sorry about all this.” She looked down at him, his head between his knees as he puked in the can. “I was hoping if we could keep quiet about the engagement til after they went home you wouldn’t have to go through any of it and we could just get married like normal people.”

Finally raising his head she handed him the water to swish out his mouth and spit, then the towel. Deciding the tank must be empty the trash can was pushed aside and out of the way, his grip pulling her into his lap in the chair while his head hung back and he groaned. “It’s fine. Weird as hell, but fine.”

Despite everything that had happened tonight (much less what he’d just upchucked) she kissed his cheek, wrapping herself around him. “I love you.”

He smiled, the grin a little sideways in his drunken stupor. Looking up at her he gave a little drunken chuckle, nuzzling his face into her chest. “You’d better. Been put through hell for you.”

She chuckled as he nuzzled at her, his hands finding their way under her shirt to start fiddling with her bra. “Clyde…you’re drunk…”

“So? Just makes me want you more…” He told her, getting those little hooks free and starting to lift her shirt, his mouth going for his prize.

She slipped off his lap, taking a step back. “Clyde, no. The bar is still full of people.”

“To hell with people.” He got out of his chair but stumbled, the ground not wanting to stay put under his feet. Despite the world spinning he could see her back up another couple steps, heading for the door. Almost in a lunge he met her there, slamming them both back into the door before reaching behind her and locking it, holding her wide eyed gaze. “This big dumb grizzly bear is hungry…”

He leaned down to smash his lips to hers, pinning her up against the door. He could hear her whimper a bit, his name slipping past her lips. “Clyde, we need to stop.”

“I don’t wanna stop!” He snapped, looking down at her. “I wanna kiss you, touch you, LOVE you, and only you for as long as I live. I wanna marry you, watch movies with you, dance with you, have babies with you, grow old with you and God willing spend the rest of my eternity with you!”

Putting a finger to his lips she made him still, looking up at him with awe-filled eyes. With a soft smile she chuckled. “I want that too.”

With a hook of his hands he lifted her up and pinned her to the back of the door, kissing the smile clean off her face until she moaned in need for breath. He nipped and kissed at her neck, loving how her smaller frame wrapped around him with practiced ease. “But right now I wanna fucking plow you like a field.”

In his drunken fever he twirled them around, off the door and onto the carpeted floor, pulling her shirt up and over her head to claim a nipple in his mouth, his erection grinding between her legs through his pants. In a haze he couldn’t remember how they managed to get naked, or anything that may have been said. What he did remember was slamming himself deep inside her over and over so many times he lost count while she screamed her head off and yanked on his hair. It wasn’t sex, as far as he would have called it, this was rutting, hard and primal for as long as the urge held him until he finally came so hard he saw stars and howled like a beast.

Then, there was nothing. Just dark. Sleep, and a warm body cuddled up next to him, drooling slightly on his chest. When he opened his eyes he immediately regretted it, the glaring lights of his office making the pounding in his head all the worse. Looking down he spotted red hair, all tucked up next to him on the small couch in his office, both of them naked but wrapped in the throw blanket he kept on the back of the sofa.

His whole body hurt, sore from sleeping at a bad angle on the couch, but moving meant he’d have to wake her up. Dry mouth became too overbearing and he shook her arm just a bit, calling her name softly. Big green eyes looked up at him, the same as they’d done over and over again for the past few weeks and she grinned, sitting up on the sofa to show off her nakedness, it covered with hickeys, marks and bites. Did he do all that?

With a smile she leaned down and kissed him, slipping onto his lap and rocking against his hips. “Maybe I should get you drunk more often.”

His whole face turned the color of her hair. “Calam, I…”

She put a finger to his lips. “Nope. Not this time. Last night you fought bravely like a good prince charming. Then I let you take everything you wanted from me like a beast. Now it’s my turn to do the same.”

He watched her wiggle down his body and do that thing with her mouth that made him go cross-eyed. Oh was he in DEEP shit.


	15. Chapter 15

Opening up the door to her house was a true feeling of coming home, at least for CJ. The moment she stepped into that little hallway space and heard the sounds of people cooking, playing, talking and just full of life she felt at peace. At least for a few seconds anyway.

Her sisters, Bertie, and Mellie were all sitting at the table, coffee cups in hand, Bree noticing her coming in and waved in acknowledgement. “We were starting to wonder when you’d finally be coming home. Where’s Clyde?”

“At home, sleeping.” CJ explained, coming in and grabbing a cup of breakfast blend and joining them at the table. “He had to clean up the office a bit then went home to catch a few more hours of sleep.”

“Understandable, I’m know Ernie is all but bedridden with a hangover. Shows what yours is made of if he’s actually up and functional after all that whiskey.” Bree took a sip of her coffee.

“Well as it is, the family now stands by your engagement to Clyde.” Lynn said simply with a soft smile. “When we see him next, we’ll make our apologies for our behavior at the bar last night. I know the family kind of put him on the spot.”

“He said it’s fine. Weird, but fine. But I’m sure he’d appreciate it.” CJ took a sip of her coffee, smiling to herself softly. “So what are your plans for today? I could show y’all around town, we’ve got some cute little stores down the main street.”

The women looked at each other Mellie shifting in her seat a bit. “Actually we’re going to take you shopping.”

CJ blinked. “Why, I don’t need any clothes.”

Lynn cleared her throat. “Since you live so far away and it costs a small fortune to get everyone out here we’ve decided to extend our trip for a couple weeks.”

Their littlest sister all but spit out her coffee. “2 weeks? What are y’all gonna do round here for 2 weeks?”

“Well…get you married.” Bertie grinned, practically bouncing in her seat. “Tada!”

CJ’s eyes got as big as plates, even pulling her seat back from the table and rising to her feet. “Have y’all lost your minds?! I’m not getting married so soon! Mellie are you in on this too?”

“Actually it was my idea.” Mellie admitted, leaning back in her seat. “I know Clyde wouldn’t care if you got married 20 years from now or tomorrow so I think you should go ahead and get it over and done with while you’re family is here in town. That whole ‘2 birds, 1 stone’ thing. I’ll do your hair and makeup, Lynn already has the ball rolling on the marriage license, Bree’s working on getting the chairs and setup sorted, and Bertie’s offered to help with music. You’re all set.”

“It’s too soon. We both have work and I’ve still gotta get the shed out back set up as my studio. I’m not even pregnant and you’re treating this like a damn shotgun wedding!” CJ snapped, raising her voice. “What about momma?”

“Momma already approves and will be here for the big day.” Lynn said simply, ignoring her little sister’s antics. “We figure just have the rehersal at Duck Tape, the wedding in the back yard, keep it just family, and afterward we all go home. Simple.”

“Come on Calamity,” Bertie whined. “I was at your last wedding and it was terrible! No pictures, YOU paid for everything and it was just…”

“We like Clyde,” Bree added, putting a hand on Bertie’s who started to fan herself to keep from crying. “And we love you. We know it’s Johnny on the spot, but we as a family want to do this for you. So just shut up and let us, ok?”

CJ twitched her nose and crossed her arms over her chest. “I want it simple. No white dress, no penguin suits, everything local and as few people as possible…”

And that is how CJ got sucked into the whirlwind that was her sisters planning everything. Despite her insistence that Clyde would be opposed to all this being thrown together at the last minute he just shrugged and asked where he needed to be and what time, letting her lay into him until she was dragged away to go look at dresses.

If she’d let them, CJ would have ended up trying on every dress in the whole damn store. Each had their own style they could see her in and had their own favorites but being a red-head in a family of red-heads stubborn refusal to back down just made for the dress picking to go on forever. They went store to store, dress after dress, all the while bickering until CJ’s nerves couldn’t seem to handle it and she found herself bent over a toilet upchucking her breakfast. And then her lunch. And the crackers and ginger ale she’d been given to settle her stomach.

Mellie finally did the smart thing and called Sylvia who promptly came by with her mobile clinic to see what the trouble was all about. She did the usual, checked the blood pressure, temperature and all the normal stuff until asking a simple question.

“CJ, when was the last time you had your period?” Sylvia asked, clipboard in hand, ready to check the little box with the information.

CJ opened her mouth and paused, trying to think back, even pulling up the tracking calendar she kept on her phone, trying to do the math. “Apparently I forgot to write down last months.”

“Are you sure?” Sylvia asked, cocking her short bob haircut to the side. “Cause I’m looking at your symptoms and from what you’re telling me it sounds like morning sickness. Have you been using protection when you had sex?”

The red-head went very still, trying to accept this possibility. “He’s allergic to latex and I can’t take birth control.”

“Well let’s have you take a quick pregnancy test just to make sure…” Numbly CJ followed the brunette into the back and they took care of the test, those green eyes staring off numbly into space while they waited for the results.

It didn’t take long.

“I’m guessing this wasn’t planned?” Sylvia asked.

CJ just shook her head slowly, still lost in thought. “I didn’t think I _could_ get pregnant. I was married once before and we tried but… it didn’t happen. And he had a child before I came along so I just assumed it was something wrong with me.”

“Well, apparently you were wrong.” The other woman smiled. “Congratulations. Should we call the father and tell him?”

Red hair jerked up to look at the other woman so fast it made Sylvia jump in her spot. Looking out to spot the women setting at a covered outside table drinking lemonade CJ jumped to her feet, muttering a thank you before slipping out the clinic door and heading towards the group. “Lynn, I need your keys.”

The oldest Turner looked at her, confused. “Sure, why?”

CJ snatched the offered keys and popped the trunk, looking over its contents before slamming it shut and walking around to the driver’s side and getting in. Without a word of explination she took off, leaving her sisters in the dust and headed home.

Mellie slipped up to Sylvia in a confused panic. “What happened?”

The brunette made a face. “That’s the girl who’s been dating Clyde, right?”

“Yeah, for a little over a month now.” Mellie informed her.

“Well as you probably know I can’t tell you what we talked about. But I have an idea where she might be going.” Looking to the passle of siblings she asked. “What all did you have in your trunk?”

“Just the essentials,” Lynn told her. “Toolbox, first aid kit, couple of the kids toys and the spare tire.”

“And Kevin’s shotgun.” Bree added. “He put it in there this morning since he was taking the kids to the movies this afternoon and needed the extra space.”

Sylvia’s eyes went wide. “I’m gonna call Jimmy, tell him to stick close to Clyde at all costs.”

“Wha…why?” Mellie asked, Sylvia slipped onto the mobile clinic and told them group to get on, phone at her ear.

“Cause I think your brooding little brother is about to get shot!”

~_~_~_~_~_~ 

Clyde looked to the sound of Pod barking, a familiar car all but barreling up the dirt and gravel drive, spitting stones every which way. Pausing in his work he approached the car, watching as his favorite woman on this planet got out, her eyes scanning around until they spotted him.

“CLYDE LOGAN!!!!!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. She turned to pop the trunk of the car open, moving back and disappearing inside it for a minute.

She never used his full name. And anyone who’s anyone, especially in the south know when the woman you’re supposed to marry in 2 weeks uses your full name, there’s trouble. He hollered back. “What?”

Stepping back out from her trunk she started marching towards him with a powerful angry look on her face. The fact she had a 12 gage shotgun in her hand didn’t help the situation much either. She paused a decent ways away and leveled the gun at his head. “You, sir, are a dead man!”

BANG!

CJ all but fell flat on her ass from the kick of the gun, the shot missing by a mile but it was enough to send her fiancé hotfooting it towards the house. Jimmy met him at the door, confused as hell. “What that a gunshot?”

“She’s shooting at me!” His brother yelled, shoving past and into the house.

BANG!

The front window blew out, making Jimmy duck for cover. “Shit, she really IS trying to shoot you!”

“I told you!” Clyde yelled heading through to the back of the house, trying to slip out the back. “What the hell is she trying to shoot me for?”

“Hell if I know, you’re the moron who decided to marry a red head from Texas.” Jimmy yelled. “Maybe she found out about the money?!”

CJ stomped up the steps of her own front porch, just missing Jimmy’s toes in her cork sandals, that viper look locking eyes with him hard enough for him to hold up his hands in surrender and step out of her way.

“Where is he?” She asked, slinging the gun open over her arm and popping out the cartridges, pulling two fresh ones from her pocket.

“Whatever he did, I’m sure he’s sorry.” Jimmy said nervously.

“He’s ain’t sorry enough yet!” Movement caught her eyes and the cocked the gun, firing through the open doorway and spraying her walls with birdshot. BANG! “Shit, missed again.”

“I thought you said you could hit a beer can at 100 yards.”

She glared at her soon to be brother in law. “With a rifle, not a shotgun. I’m not used to this kind of kick back!”

A blur of black ran past the side window. She aimed.

BANG!

Clyde Logan could feel the glass from the side window blow out just behind him, all but flying toward his truck. He didn’t even remember cranking it or putting it into drive but he as barreling down the drive and outta sight faster than his girlfriend could get out of the house, her cussing him out all the way out of sight.

“You god damn coward!” She yelled after him, popping the shells out of her gun again and heading down to her car for more.

“Just what the hell did he do?” Jimmy asked, following her out of the house.

“Something worth being shot for, that’s what!” She turned her gaze to Jimmy and in that one look, he knew EXACTLY what this was all about. It was the same damn look Bobbie Jo had given him nearly a decade ago.

“Come on and get in the truck, you’re in no state to drive.” He waved at her to get in, pulling his phone from his pocket. “Does Mellie know?”

CJ nodded, trying so hard not to cry she was hiccupping. Jimmy just swore to himself. “I’ll have’er check the house but I’m pretty sure I know where he’s going. Although you’re still confusing the shit outta me as to why you’re trying to shoot him.”

“Because it wasn’t supposed to happen this way…” She blinked back tears and headed to her car. “I need to reload first.”

Sighing Jimmy adjusted his cap and jabbed his thumb towards his vehicle. “I’ve got shells in the truck, now come on, before someone gets stupid and calls the cops!”

~_~_~_~_~_~

Earl sat out on the front porch of the Duct Tape calmly smoking a cigarette as the patron of the bar pulled up, his face as white as a sheet. “What’s the matter?”

“CJ’s trying to kill me.” He said, trying to pull his keys out and dropping them on the floor, the adrenaline making his hands shake.

“Ah, young love.” Earl just smiled, leaning back in the chair.

Clyde glared at him. “She’s trying to shoot me with a shotgun. I don’t even know where she GOT a gun, much less why she’s trying to shoot me with it!”

“Well you are the idiot who’s marrying a red head from Texas.” The old man chuckled.

Finally getting the right key in his hand he looked at his best customer. “Thanks for reminding me.”

The sound of an engine made him turn, recognizing his brother’s truck…and the fact that there were two people in it. “Shit!”

He managed to get the door open and duck inside before the raging red head got out of the truck.

“Overgrown weasel, hiding in his hole!” She all but bend the gun in two she was so mad. “Give me the shells!”

Jimmy promptly handed her a pair of shells, a different color than the ones she’d been shooting and hopped out of the truck, Earl holding open the door for her as she passed with Jimmy in tow, “Thank you Earl. CLYDE!!!!! Get your sorry ass out here before I start shooting every bottle in the damn place starting with the good stuff!”

“Alright, alright, I’m coming out!” He voice carried from back behind the bar, holding up his hands in surrender. “Can we just try to talk this out first?”

“Oh you’ve done enough talking for the both of us and sorry piece of shit!” She leveled the shotgun right at his head.

“Look, Calam, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the money. I’ve been trying to tell you about it since the day after the karaoke contest but things just started to come up or I’d chicken out.” Clyde started babbling, hands still up in the air.

She just stared at him, seeming a bit confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Clyde just stared at her, “The fact that Jimmy, Mellie and I robbed the Charlotte speedway last year and I didn’t tell you sooner?”

To her credit she lowered the gun a fraction to look at him, giving him a haughty expression. “What the HELL are you talking about? I don’t care if you robbed fucking Fort Knox then tap danced out the door!”

The tall man put his hands down, staring at her confused. “You don’t?”

“No!” She snapped. “I mean it is definitely something we should talk about but that’s not why I’m gonna shoot you!”

“Then why in blue blazes are you trying to shoot me with that shotgun!”

That viper look came back and she raised the gun with shaking hands and fired. BANG!

Clyde winced, squeezing his eyes shut, sure he was going to die at the hands of this crazy ass woman. Then he opened them, looking down to see…nothing. He was fine. A little singed, but fine.

CJ seemed as equally confused, turning to look at Jimmy standing just off to the side enjoying the show. He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to his brother who caught it with one hand. “She’s loaded with blanks, it’s fine.”

“Damn you Jimmy Logan, you son of a bitch!” She turned the gun his direction but he just grabbed the barrels and all but yanked it out of her hand, leaving a pissed of cat without a face to scratch to hell.

“Oh calm down, CJ. You know if you HAD shot him you would have instantly regretted it, so I played it smart and gave you blanks.” He explained, keeping the gun out of her reach.

“Calam,” a surprisingly calm voice came from behind her, making her spin around to face her fiancé looming over her. His expression was that calm pissed he was so famous for, but his eyes held hurt that she’d tried to shoot him. “You ready to explain yet?”

“Oh like hell you don’t know!” She all but shoved him away from her. “It’s all your fault anyway you bastard!”

“What is my fault?” He asked, sounding almost defeated. “What’d I do?”

“Don’t you get it yet you big dope.” Earl chimed from his usual seat at the bar, pulling a beer out from behind the bar and popping it open with practiced ease, taking a swig. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

Everyone looked at Earl with shock and surprise, CJ finally speaking first. “How did you…”

“It was the ginger ale,” He explained simply. “My wife always got so sick to her stomach when she was pregnant. Ginger ale was all she ever seemed to drink. Some even say if you start feeling it too early, you’re probably having multiples.”

“Ginger ale…but that was,” Clyde did a quick count. “just a week or so after we…wait you’re pregnant?!”

“A week,” Earl all but through his head back and laughed. “Boy are you in for it then! Twins at least!”

Clyde ignored the old man’s chuckles and stared down at his bride to be. “That’s why you’ve been trying to shoot me?”

“You’re damn right you asshole!” She snapped, hands fisting at her sides. “Mellie talked me into going to the clinic today since I kept throwing up while trying on dresses and it turns out I’m pregnant! I can’t be be pregnant! I’ve got a business to get started, a house to finish remodelling, a wedding to plan and now this on top of everything else?! I can’t do this! And you, Mr. Super sperm, getting me knocked up on a first try and making me eat my words! This whole thing is utter bullshit! I can’t…I-I can’t…”

Her legs seemed to suddenly collapse out from underneath her, Clyde swooping in to catch her, at being in his arms the dam blew and she began to ball, sobbing into the front of his shirt while thumping her fist against his shoulder. Clyde looked up at his brother like a deer caught in headlights.

“Hormones,” Jimmy grinned, shrugging. “Better get used to it, brother.”

Waving at Earl the pair of men left the bar, closing the door and leaving their friend to care for his blubbering wife to be. For the longest time he just let her cry, sobbing until she couldn’t anymore and wrapping his arms around her tight, rocking her a bit. When she called down she pulled away a bit, looking up at him, sniffling.

“You better now?” He asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she nodded. “Wanna talk about it?”

Shaking her head she looked away from him, down at the wet spot on his shirt. “Clyde I don’t think I can do this. What with everything else that’s going on with the house, the shop, the wedding, and now being pregnant on top of that, it’s too much! Despite all the talk we did and everything, I honestly didn’t think we’d actually succeed in starting a family, at least not this soon! I tried for years to get pregnant with my ex and since it never worked I figured something was wrong with me and just gave up. Now it…it’s like the road I’ve been on so diligently to get here has all but crumbled under my feet!”

“Well honey it ain’t like you’ll be handling it alone.” He reminded her, holding her face softly. “You’ve got me, remember? You know I’d do anything for you, even get shot if the situation calls for it. Just next time please TALK to me about it before you start shooting at me?”

She chuckled a bit, rubbing her face into his hand. “I really am sorry. I was just so angry and mixed up I lashed out at the first person I couldn’t think of to blame.”

“It’s fine.” He smiled. “Well, actually it’s not fine. It was fuckin’ terrifying watching you level that shotgun at me, but now I can kinda get it.”

Looking up at him she sniffled. “I’m so sorry Clyde. We can blame the hormones if you want.”

“Fair enough.” He agreed, scooping her to help her off the floor.

“You seriously rob a bank like you said?” She asked, letting him escort her to a bar stool.

“We’ll talk about that later. Rather we have that conversation at home, in bed, with you, without customers loitering outside the door.” He admitted, giving her a small wink to make her smile.

To his credit, it worked, her laughter spilling out a little past her lips and she nodded in agreement. “I’ll let Jimmy know to hold onto the shotgun.”

“Deal.”


End file.
